The term "rule-following criminal" strikes me as a bit of an oxymoron. Criminals break rules as a matter of course. Otherwise, they wouldn't be described as criminals.
But if someone breaks the law, with the associated penalties including jail time, would that person really care what social media companies might do? Obviously not, which seems to shock some people.
We know it shocks some people because of this report which takes aim at social media companies over guns being sold on their platforms despite policies forbidding it.
Glocks, military-style rifles and "ghost guns" have all been advertised for sale on easily accessible sites like Facebook and Instagram. Each ad appears to be in direct violation of Meta's own policies, raising questions about the company's ability to effectively moderate content. Some of the ads go even further, potentially violating local and federal laws.
Meta has banned ads for the sale of firearms since 2016. The company's policy simply states: "Ads must not promote the sale or use of weapons, ammunition or explosives. This includes ads for weapon modification accessories."
But more than 230 of these ads ran on Meta's platforms in just over two months, many directing users to Telegram for the actual transaction, according to a new study released Oct. 7 by the Tech Transparency Project and the Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund.
"TTP's investigation shows that Meta is giving gun traffickers unparalleled reach," said Katie Paul, director of Tech Transparency Project. "Until Meta enforces the rules it has on the books, its advertising engine will continue to be a vector for dangerous weapons that threaten the safety of Americans and others around the world."
Meta's massive reach
Meta's business help center explains that "ads can appear on Facebook, Messenger, Instagram and Meta Audience Network." That means an individual ad can have a massive reach across platforms, showing up in a user's individual Facebook and Instagram feed as well as in stories or in their Messenger inbox.
So these are supposedly ads.
However, they include a picture of a couple of these ads. They specifically advertise "Ghost" Glock handguns. These are illegal outright. This isn't someone trying to conduct a lawful sale but violating Meta's policies. No, this is a criminal breaking the rules.
And this was far from the only example, either.
In the past few years, several people have been charged with selling firearms and illegal gun accessories on Meta platforms, specifically via Instagram profile pages.
In 2019, two former police officers were found guilty of conspiracy to deal firearms without a license, selling firearms to a convicted felon and making false statements about the sales on federal firearms licensing paperwork. They both advertised the guns on their Instagram pages.
Two Los Angeles-based men were charged in June 2024 with selling more than 60 firearms, including untraceable "ghost guns" and guns with scratched-off serial numbers, through Instagram accounts. Both men have pleaded not guilty.
So again, criminals.
But the truth here is that it's not really about what the criminals do. What this is really about is what regular people do.
Most regular folks know they can't post guns for sale on Facebook. This is a problem for gun stores, of course, but for most of us, we just deal with it. We don't try to break the rules because while we might think they suck, they are what they are.
Criminals, however, have a profound tendency to do what they want until they're stopped.
While this report seeks to attack social media companies for not doing enough, the truth is that the bad guys will still find a way around all of it. They'll keep doing what they're not supposed to be doing because that's what they do.
And since Everytown is part of this, I think they know it.
What's happening here is that they want Meta and other social media companies to step up their efforts and start being so restrictive that even the mention of guns will trigger their algorithm into deleting the post.
They want gun owners feeling isolated. People are tribal and they need to be part of a group. If they're the outcast, few will embrace that. They'll instead subconsciously adapt to fit the group. It's why formerly conservative voices who spend a long time working with liberal outlets seem to shift further and further left. They feel isolated and adjust their beliefs on some level so they'll be part of the group.
If you can convince gun owners they're alone in their social group when it comes to opposing gun control, they'll slowly convince themselves to embrace it.
Not everyone, mind you, but it doesn't take everyone.
But even if that's not what's happening here, I'm more shocked that anyone is shocked to learn that criminals don't actually follow the rules.
