Replicating Ruin: Printing Dangerous Objects

Abstract

This chapter will consider the possibilities of using 3D printers to print dangerous or otherwise undesirable objects. Such objects lie along a spectrum of severity, from the printing of firearms and other weapons to the printing of objects which may pose mild product liability or health and safety concerns. The decentralised nature of production via 3D printing thus raises novel problems in this area, since in the previous era of mass production there have been certain ‘gatekeepers’ which regulate the production and circulation of these productions and accordingly can themselves be regulated, such that the products produced and transited adhere to certain standards, and that objects such as weapons are subject to strict controls regarding sale, possession, and use.