Facebook will soon prevent minors from viewing ads for gun accessories such as holsters and magazines. The move comes amid a renewed focus on gun violence in the United States following school shootings in Santa Fe, Texas; Parkland, Florida; and others.
Facebook will stop showing minors ads for gun accessories
The policy goes into effect on June 21st
The policy goes into effect on June 21st
Photo by Michele Doying / The Verge
According to a Facebook spokesperson, the company already bans ads for guns and modifications, but sellers can post ads for accessories such as gun-mounted flashlights, scopes, holsters, gun cases, gun paint, or slings. The company isn’t going to prohibit those ads, but it will require sellers to “restrict their audiences to at least 18 years of age or over.”
The company’s listed adverting policies don’t currently list the age restriction; that will change when the policy takes effect on June 21st.
The change coincides with the larger discussion about the role of firearms in the US, especially in the wake of a number of high-profile shootings. Limiting the ads to users who are likely out of high school feels like an incremental step, but it’s one that could cut down on the visibility of the items and accessories that make guns seem cooler.
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