By hannover-web.com A recent report highlights a troubling reality: despite its stated policy restrictions, Facebook and Instagram are providing easy access to gun sales. Since 2016, Meta, the parent company of these platforms, has prohibited advertisements for firearm sales, yet evidence suggests that both platforms are turning a blind eye to this rule. This oversight has allowed ads for handguns, military-style rifles, and untraceable homemade guns to spread freely.
Meta’s firearms advertising policy is quite clear: “Ads from our companies cannot promote or advocate for the use of weapons, ammunition, explosives, or include ads for products that modify weapons.”
However, a study released on October 7 by the Tech Transparency Project and Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund revealed a staggering 230 ads for gun sales on Meta’s platforms within just two months. Many of these ads redirected users to Instagram for face-to-face transactions.
Katie Paul, who leads the Tech Transparency Project, emphasized the severity of the situation, stating, “As long as Meta does not enforce its own rules, its advertising engines will continue to facilitate the spread of dangerous weapons, threatening the safety of Americans and people worldwide.”
According to Meta’s Business Help Center, ads can appear across Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and the Meta Audience Network. This means that ads not only reach users on Facebook and Instagram but can also be widely shared and show up in Messenger inboxes.
The issue is not isolated to a few cases. A CBS investigation published on October 2 found numerous ads for firearms, ammunition, and BB guns on Facebook Marketplace, which directly contradicts Meta’s advertising guidelines. Although the ads were swiftly removed after CBS raised concerns, new ones quickly surfaced. A Meta spokesperson claimed that 98.4% of problematic ads on Marketplace are flagged by the system without needing user reports.
When questioned about the findings from the Tech Transparency Project, a Meta spokesperson stated that the company is continuously reviewing its advertising processes. The Meta Business Blog reaffirms this commitment, asserting, “We are dedicated to providing individuals, communities, and businesses with a trustworthy shopping experience through our policies, safety measures, and technology.”
