Facebook Moves to Ban Private Gun Sales on Its Site and Instagram

NYTimes.com ^ | 1-29-2016 | Melissa Cronin

[Citizen Zed]

Facebook is banning private sales of guns on its flagship social network and its Instagram photo-sharing service, a move meant to clamp down on unlicensed gun transactions.

Facebook already prohibits people from offering marijuana, pharmaceuticals and illegal drugs for sale, and the company said on Friday that it was updating its policy to include guns. The ban applies to private, person-to-person sales of guns. Licensed gun dealers and gun clubs can still maintain Facebook pages and post on Instagram.

Although Facebook was not directly involved in gun sales, it has served as a forum for gun sales to be negotiated, without people having to undergo background checks.

[Citizen Zed]

The Facebook morality police.

[G Larry]

I beat them to it.

I banned Facebook.

[Gaffer]

In my estimation Facebook is the stepping stone to an ID chip injected into you and bar code on your forehead. It is blanket permission to give unknown people and government insight into what makes you tick, think, do and want. I have never, nor ever will have a Facebook account.

[RIghtwardHo]

Oh good grief. It’s a private business. They can sell, ban, and regulate what they want. This isn’t the Government doing this.

Isn’t this the unregulated mega-corps that so many wanted?

The problem isn’t Government. The problem is a Liberal Government.

[martinidon]

This is just a liberal feel good story for liberal consumption. I mean how many gun sales are really taking place via Facebook or Instagram? Liberals and the media will come out and claim this is a bold and courageous action Facebook is taking and how other companies should follow. Then trot out the “common sense” gun laws line or bring up the lie about the gun show loop hole. Complete BS.

[Mouton]

I never signed on, don’t intend to either given the CEO owner is a POS supporter of Obama.

[eastforker]

I mean how many gun sales are really taking place via Facebook or Instagram

To answer your question, thousands, everyday.

[Texas Eagle]

Good. Guns were bought and sold long before buttface ever existed and they will be bought and sold long after it's gone.

Hopefully that will be sooner rather than later.

[Boomer One]

What bothers me about this policy is that the public is being conditioned to accept corporate rather than governmental censorship.

[kingu]

The Facebook morality police.

No, the liberal gestapo. The thought police who constantly 'monitor' conservative gun groups to find some reason to have them banned on Facebook. And Facebook effectively finally gave into their pressure and handed them tools to use to get those groups banned. 'See! This person is attempting to sell a firearm, therefore you must ban the group!'

Of course, these same liberals wouldn't dare report a gun sale in say a Black Lives Matter group, because that would be racist.

And bizarrely, to liberals, this is just a bit of revenge for all the conservatives who constantly monitor (and report) their recreational drug groups and underage sex rings.