The use of Facebook and Instagram for selling various goods (illegal and legal) has taken authorities by surprise!
Users can simply upload a picture of the weapon, adding hashtags to indicate that the item is for sale.
Buyers can search for specific tags and then contact the buyer by leaving a comment. Negotiations can then take place off-site after further contact details have been exchanged.
Facebook said that they will “remove reported posts that explicitly indicate a specific attempt to evade or help others evade the law.
“For example, we will remove reported posts where the potential buyer or seller indicates they will not conduct a background check or are willing to sell across state lines without a licensed firearms dealer.”
This means that the sale of weapons through the service will still be allowed, but sellers will not be allowed to advertise the fact that they will not perform a background check, and that unlicensed dealesr will now be allowed to sell across state lines.
attorneys have been asking Facebook to implement such restrictions, after evidence show that users were explicating advertising weapons that violated gun control laws.
Source: The Indepedent
