Facebook cracks down on private gun sales

Peer to peer sales that are coordinated — and maybe even paid for through — Facebook are nothing new. The social network makes it easy to get in contact with someone, share pictures, and thanks to that money sending feature added to Messenger not too long ago, even pay for an item. Among the things being sold privately through Facebook were firearms, something the social network has now explicitly banned.

Facebook banned the private sale of firearms in a policy update today; this includes coordinating the sale of ammo through the social network, as well. In the past, private gun sales on Facebook had some restrictions based on age, reminders to follow the laws, and other things also presented when items like alcohol are sold.

Anyone who posts a private firearm or ammo for sale on Facebook could have the post removed, assuming it is either detected by the social network's system or reported by someone. This is the first product to be banned from peer to peer sales; Facebook also bars prescription drug sales and marijuana sales.

Said Facebook's global product policy head Monika Bickert:

Over the last two years, more and more people have been using Facebook to discover products and to buy and sell things to one another. We are continuing to develop, test and launch new products to make this experience even better for people and are updating our regulated goods policies to reflect this evolution.

The same ban is now in place for Instagram, as well.

VIA: The Washington Post