Report: ATF’s ‘Name and Shame’ Firearm Retailer Program is Being Axed according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), marking the end of a controversial 25-year practice long criticized by firearm retailers and Second Amendment advocates. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is reportedly pulling the plug on its so-called Demand 2 Program—a move welcomed by those who argue the policy unfairly punished law-abiding gun dealers.
Launched during the Clinton administration, the Demand 2 Program has been described by critics as a bureaucratic tool used to “name and shame” federal firearm licensees (FFLs) based on questionable data practices. Under the policy, any FFL that had 25 or more firearms traced back to them in relation to crimes over a three-year period was automatically flagged for additional scrutiny, regardless of whether they had complied with all applicable laws and regulations.
What made the program especially problematic, according to gun rights advocates, was its presumption of guilt. Retailers who sold firearms legally and followed every rule to the letter could still find themselves targeted by the ATF if one or more of their products later ended up in criminal hands. In an industry already under intense political and regulatory pressure, the Demand 2 Program was seen as a weapon for political posturing rather than public safety.
Lawrence G. Keane, Senior Vice President and General Counsel for the NSSF, praised the program’s reported cancellation. “This is a welcome step forward for firearm retailers who are targeted by gun control politicians and advocates despite the fact that they have done everything according to the letter of the law and regulations,” Keane stated.
Retailers and Gun Rights Advocates Celebrate End of Misused Policy
The news that Report: ATF’s ‘Name and Shame’ Firearm Retailer Program is Being Axed has energized both industry professionals and gun rights groups, who have long viewed the Demand 2 Program as an ineffective and harmful overreach. Rather than focusing on criminals and illegal transactions, the program seemed to penalize those who were working within the legal framework—simply for being in the wrong place at the wrong time on a paper trail.
Critics have also highlighted a pattern of misuse and data leakage under the program, especially during the tenure of former ATF Director Steve Dettelbach. Though the tracing statistics were intended to remain confidential, gun rights groups reported several instances where the data was leaked to anti-gun media outlets such as USA Today and advocacy organizations like Brady United.
By quietly sharing Demand 2 data with these groups, the ATF contributed to public campaigns against legal businesses that had done nothing wrong. This not only put undue pressure on FFLs, but also helped fuel a media narrative that conflated legal gun sales with criminal activity—without evidence or context.
Now, with the reported end of the Demand 2 Program, the ATF has a chance to reset its relationship with the firearm industry. As Keane noted, “The ATF is taking real and practical measures to restore trust with the public that [it] is a fair arbiter when it comes to regulating the firearm industry.”
A Step Toward Transparency and Fairness in Gun Regulation
The reported cancellation of the Demand 2 Program is more than just an internal policy change—it’s a signal that pressure from industry leaders and advocacy groups can lead to positive reform. While gun retailers are expected to operate within a strict legal framework, they also deserve fair treatment and due process—especially when they are not responsible for the actions of criminals.
If the ATF is serious about promoting responsible firearm ownership and reducing crime, its efforts must focus on actual bad actors—not those who follow the rules. As gun rights groups continue to advocate for reform, the end of the Demand 2 Program represents a long-overdue correction and a hopeful sign of future accountability.
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