this post was submitted on 22 Feb 2026
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The video is about a new bill, California AB-2047, which would require all 3D-printers sold or traded in California to have technology that prevents it from printing firearms. It also requires that 3D-printers cannot be easily modified to print firearms. This basically means that 3D-printers sold in California cannot have open source firmware, and they cannot work with open source tools, like slicers.
He argues, that while this bill is about 3D-printers, it opens the door for further limiting your devices. Computers are general purpose devices, that are able to execute any code, as long as it's valid code. He argues that this bill is a way to change that. He also argues, that while this bill is only about California, it can easily spread to other states and countries.
The rest is my thoughts:
It's commonly thought, that it's impossible to make a computer that's not a general purpose device (a non-Turing complete machine). The only way to do that is by making it illegal to run certain kind of programs. You can compare this bill to DMCA law. It was originally meant to make it illegal to pirate music, movies, games, etc. But, nowadays, it's used for numerous other things. You can't use any type of ink you want in your 2d-printers. You have to pay a monthly fee to be able to heat your car's seats. You can't repair your devices with third-party parts.
So yes, the title of the video is a bit clickbaity. But I think the content is still valid.
and it seems to be not true at all that "California just killed" anything, so far the bill has only been introduced, not passed as the title implies
That is true. But, I would call this a dangerous bill. If it passes, it can have huge implications for different types of computers. I think it's good to raise awareness for this type of things, but maybe using less clickbaity titles would be a better way.
I agree with that of course.