Chinese city orders 3D printing firms to register with authorities to stop technology being used by criminals
Police say they are worried the technique could be used to produce illegal items
Companies involved with 3D printing in one of China’s major cities will need to register with the police to avoid the technology being used for criminal activities, state media reported.
Local police in Chongqing began requiring these companies to register with the government on Monday, Xinhua reported on Sunday.
As the country’s first-ever trial of this kind, the move is intended to prevent 3D printing technology being used to produce illegal items or the digital blueprints for these items, the city’s police announced on the news platform Toutiao.
Companies will need to provide information about the equipment and security measures they use, as well as the personal information of their heads and relevant employees.
While the emerging technology has been useful in a variety of areas – including in construction, aviation and medicine – it has also been used to make potentially dangerous items.
In 2014, a man was arrested in Japan for being in possession of five 3D printed guns, with two capable of firing actual bullets.