Facebook Cracks Down on Gun Posts with New Regulations

Facebook Cracks Down on Gun Posts with New Regulations

  • By Ginger Hill
  • Mar 06, 2014

Facebook cracks down on gun postWhen it comes to anything security related, I try to stay as up-to-date as possible, but honestly, selling guns on Facebook and Instagram?! I find this odd because that’s the last place I would look if I wanted to buy anything online, choosing to find my bargains at places like Etsy.com, Amazon and sometimes, Ebay. Besides, what happened to needing a background check to purchase a gun? Or, what about having to be a licensed firearms dealer to sell them? How do you virtually check either of these? Impossible.

Social network giant, Facebook, has outlined some new rules to stop users from illegally promoting the sale of private firearms on their network by:

  • Limiting posts on Facebook and Instagram that discuss the sale of firearms to users that are over 18 years of age; (easy to manipulate your age when signing up for a Facebook account)
  • Preventing the posting of offers to sell regulated items that would help people evade the law; (Who or what technology is going to be used to actively police such a large network?)
  • Warning people promoting the private sale of weapons to comply with relevant laws; (Most people skip over warning messages anyway); and
  • Introducing “in-app education” on Instagram that will remind firearm sellers to check their local laws to make sure transactions are legitimate. (Are people really going to pay attention to this?)

Facebook worked with New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, Sandy Hook Promise, Mayors Against Illegal Guns and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America to develop these new regulations; however, opposition groups are saying that Facebook caved from the pressure of the aforementioned groups and that these new policies unconstitutionally limit the rights of gun owners.

Okay, readers, it’s time for you to voice your opinion.

Do you agree with Facebook’s new policies as it relates to firearms? Or, do you think that even with these regulations, if someone really wanted to purchase a firearm, they are going to do it anyway?

Do you think Facebook’s new regulations violate your Second Amendment rights?

Image credit: Thinglass / Shutterstock.com

About the Author

Ginger Hill is Group Social Media Manager.

Featured

  • AI Is Now the Leading Cybersecurity Concern for Security, IT Leaders

    Arctic Wolf recently published findings from its State of Cybersecurity: 2025 Trends Report, offering insights from a global survey of more than 1,200 senior IT and cybersecurity decision-makers across 15 countries. Conducted by Sapio Research, the report captures the realities, risks, and readiness strategies shaping the modern security landscape. Read Now

  • Analysis of AI Tools Shows 85 Percent Have Been Breached

    AI tools are becoming essential to modern work, but their fast, unmonitored adoption is creating a new kind of security risk. Recent surveys reveal a clear trend – employees are rapidly adopting consumer-facing AI tools without employer approval, IT oversight, or any clear security policies. According to Cybernews Business Digital Index, nearly 90% of analyzed AI tools have been exposed to data breaches, putting businesses at severe risk. Read Now

  • Software Vulnerabilities Surged 61 Percent in 2024, According to New Report

    Action1, a provider of autonomous endpoint management (AEM) solutions, today released its 2025 Software Vulnerability Ratings Report, revealing a 61% year-over-year surge in discovered software vulnerabilities and a 96% spike in exploited vulnerabilities throughout 2024, amid an increasingly aggressive threat landscape. Read Now

  • Motorola Solutions Named Official Safety Technology Supplier of the Ryder Cup through 2027

    Motorola Solutions has today been named the Official Safety Technology Supplier of the 2025 and 2027 Ryder Cup, professional golf’s renowned biennial team competition between the United States and Europe. Read Now

  • Evolving Cybersecurity Strategies

    Organizations are increasingly turning their attention to human-focused security approaches, as two out of three (68%) cybersecurity incidents involve people. Threat actors are shifting from targeting networks and systems to hacking humans via social engineering methods, living off human errors as their most prevalent attack vector. Whether manipulated or not, human cyber behavior is leveraged to gain backdoor access into systems. This mainly results from a lack of employee training and awareness about evolving attack techniques employed by malign actors. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden Door Controls has relaunched its CV-7600 card readers in response to growing market demand for a more secure alternative to standard proximity credentials that can be easily cloned. CV-7600 readers support MIFARE DESFire EV1 & EV2 encryption technology credentials, making them virtually clone-proof and highly secure.

  • Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

    Connect ONE®

    Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

  • AC Nio

    AC Nio

    Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, has introduced the AC Nio, its access control management software, an important addition to its new line of access control solutions.