Why does the state of California need to provide identifying information to researchers in the first place? The potential for a release of information only incr

Why does the state of California need to provide identifying information to researchers in the first place? The potential for a release of information only increases, whether it is legal or not. The animosity both of California’s government and of academics towards the idea of private gun ownership is well known. I am not convinced that a release of gun owners’ personal information would be treated with the same seriousness as the release of say license plate, car make and model, owner address, and insurance information would be combined with license plate reader data. Or health records containing prescriptions, diagnosis history, treatment plans along with names, addresses, birthdates, etc.