Facebook’s rules ban promoting weapons. Some gun sellers are running ads anyway – By David Ingram (NBC News) / Oct 22, 2022
The Tech Transparency Project said in its report that it found 173 ads that it believes violate the apps’ ad policies by searching the apps’ online ad library over two weeks in August.
Gun retailers are running ads promoting firearms for sale on Facebook and Instagram, a tech industry watchdog said Wednesday in a report that shows apparent holes in how the apps enforce their own rules against ads that promote the use or sale of weapons.
The Tech Transparency Project said in its report that it found 173 ads that it believes violate the apps’ ad policies by searching the apps’ online ad library over two weeks in August.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, prohibits ads that “promote the sale or use of weapons, ammunition or explosives,” according to the company’s online rulebook. The prohibition also covers “weapon modification accessories,” such as gun sights.
But in an example from the report, a Texas gun shop bought an ad for “guns and ammo” with a photograph showing a wall of firearms. In another example, an online retailer that specializes in scopes and other gun accessories ran an ad for “optics, lasers and more.” A third example from a Kansas gun store and gunmaker showed an AR-15-style rifle.
