"BREAKING: ATF gun registry includes almost 1 BILLION firearm records," reads a Jan. 31 Facebook post from Gun Owners of America, which bills itself as a "no compromise" gun lobbying group. "ATF does not maintain a federal gun registry for firearms that fall under the Gun Control Act, and none of the records ATF maintains relating to those firearms may be used to create such a registry," Carolyn Gwathmey, a public affairs officer at the agency, said in an email. Under federal law, businesses federally licensed to deal in firearms, including collectors and pawnbrokers, must maintain certain records on guns transferred to other businesses or to individuals who are not licensed, Gwathmey said.