Facebook moves to ban private gun sales on its site and Instagram

Facebook and Instagram are banning private gun sales on its platforms.

Facebook says it’s cracking down on online gun sales, with a new policy that bars private individuals from advertising or selling firearms on the world’s largest social network.

The California-based social network on Friday updated its policy for managing regulated goods to prohibit people who aren’t gun dealers from using Facebook to offer guns for sale or negotiate private sales of firearms. The company has been testing the ability to buy products on the site, and now invites users to store credit card information within the platform for easy purchase and personal transactions. It’s a response to pressure coming from not only gun control advocates, but also President Obama and state attorneys general looking to restrict sales on one of the top sites on the Internet.

The move, reported by the New York Times, may strike some as odd.

“Moms are grateful for the leadership shown by Facebook today”, said Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, a part of the Everytown for Gun Safety campaign group. “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”, Monika Bickert, Facebook’s head of product policy, said in an emailed statement.

Facebook also took steps in 2014 to limit gun sales on its site and on Instagram, including by shielding minors from Facebook pages that advertised guns for sale.

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