3D printing (additive manufacturing) is the engine of modern prototyping. However, while engineers around the world are working on the next innovation, there is growing distrust in politics towards the hardware itself. The buzzword is:Ghost Guns. What begins in the US as a safety measure could have far-reaching consequences for the protection of trade secrets and innovation worldwide – including in Switzerland.
The Status Quo: Radical Plans in the US (2026)
In the US, states likeNew YorkandWashingtonhave initiated laws in early 2026 that directly intervene in hardware. Governor Kathy Hochul is calling for every 3D printer sold in New York to be equipped with a"Firearm Blueprint Detection"system.
What this specifically means:
Software Censorship:Algorithms are to check in real-time whether the geometry of a print job resembles a weapon part. If the system detects such a pattern, the print is aborted.
Cloud Compulsion:Since these databases need to be constantly updated, there is a threat of a de facto online compulsion for printers.
Criminalization of Data:Even the possession of CAD files for weapon parts without a license will be subject to severe penalties.
Why this would be extremely dangerous for Switzerland.
So far, in Switzerland: The manufacture of weapons without a permit is illegal (Art. 5 Weapons Act). The focus is on the act, not the tool. However, if we were to adopt US models, the Swiss industry would face massive problems:
1. The end of IP security (Intellectual Property)
Swiss companies rely on discretion. If a printer is constantly "phoning home" or syncing design data with a central database, it creates an enormous security risk. Who guarantees that the algorithms for weapon detection could not also be used to analyze or intercept other sensitive designs?
2. False Positives: The innovation killer
An algorithm often cannot distinguish between a harmless machine part, a medical implant, or a weapon component. A "false positive" could interrupt critical production processes and cause costs in the millions.
3. The death of offline production
Many high-security areas in Switzerland (e.g., medical technology or aviation) operate in "air-gapped" environments – that is, computers and printers without internet access. A legal requirement for automated security updates or cloud syncing would make these secure workflows impossible.
Conclusion: Tool protection instead of tool surveillance
The danger posed by ghost guns is real, but the solution must not be the sabotage of a key technology. While the USA tries to solve the problem through hardware control, the European approach has been wiser so far:Regulation of ownership and digital blueprints, instead of placing the printers themselves under general suspicion.
For the Swiss industry, it is now important to remain vigilant. Monitoring 3D printers would not only be an invasion of privacy but also a direct attack on the industrial backbone of our country.