Facebook announced on Wednesday the implementation of stricter guidelines to discourage the sale of illegal guns and other regulated items on its site.
The sale of illegal items has been prevalent on the site, a phenomenon that has been a pressing concern for the social networking giant's administration. People who are looking to buy illegal items can do so within the site without presenting identification. They also eliminate the risk of being caught due to the anonymity that the site provides.
"We will not permit people to post offers to sell regulated items that indicate a willingness to evade or help others evade the law," stated head of global policy management of Facebook, Monika Bickert in a statement reported by Computerworld.
Under the new policies, sellers within the site will be reminded to follow rules and regulations and they will not be able to sell firearms across state borders if they do not have the permit to do so. Furthermore, people who are aged 18 and above are the only ones who can see posts advertising the sale of illegal items. Posts about the sale of regulated merchandise will also be required to include a reminder about the laws related to the product.
Similarly, if Facebook users will search for such posts, for example the hashtag #gunsforsale, they will be directed to an in-app education page. The company also stated that there will be stricter policies on advertising, including the ban of ads promoting illegal drugs, weapons, and other products.
Facebook has worked with a number of gun safety groups including Mayors against Illegal Guns and Moms Demand Action, Sandy Hook Promise, and New York's Attorney General, Eric . In a statement, Schneiderman praised Facebook's initiative, saying, "I applaud Facebook and Instagram for taking the lead in helping avoid illegal gun sales on these increasingly ubiquitous platforms."
On the other hand, criticisms for the new policies were voiced out by people on the Facebook page, Guns for Sale. According to them, the changes violate the First and Second Amendment Rights. Thousands of people launched a petition at Change.org petition, to prevent Facebook in disallowing the firearms sale in their site.
