As the topic of gun control in the United States becomes more heated, Facebook has announced that it's limiting adverts for gun accessories to just adults. Minors will no longer see such ads on the site, the company has now confirmed.
The move comes amid a renewed perspective on gun control following school shootings in Texas, Florida, and many others.
Facebook Won't Show Gun Accessories To Kids
The company already bans ads for guns and modifications, according to a Facebook spokesperson, but that doesn't stop anyone from posting ads for accessories such as gun-mounted flashlights, scopes, holsters, military clothing and gear, and others. The company won't ban those ads, but it will require merchants to limit them to users "at least 18 years of age or over."
The policy will take effect on June 21.
Over the next few weeks, Facebook will also be working with businesses and organizations who may be impacted by the policy to ensure they follow the new policies.
Joining The Gun Control Conversation
Facebook isn't the only company that's been involved in America's gun control conversation. In March, YouTube said it would start banning videos that promote or link to websites that sell firearms and related accessories. At that point, the company had already shut down videos that attempted to sell firearms.
Facebook, however, has been under extra scrutiny for a variety of reasons, the most significant being its highly publicized Cambridge Analytica scandal, wherein the company knew that an organization had stolen data from millions upon millions of accounts but chose not to disclose it until several publications eventually blew the lid off the story. The revelation has severely tainted Facebook's reputation, which wasn't pristine to begin with — it's suffered through a bevy of scandals centered around user privacy in the past, but nothing as far-reaching and pervasive as Cambridge Analytica.
As the company tries to clean up its reputation, banning ads for gun accessories from children will only help send a message that it's serious and firm about its position on gun control in America. While it's not an articulate enunciation of Facebook's values when it comes to guns, it's sufficient enough to indicate the company is against all forms of violence, especially children's potential exposure to it.
Thoughts about Facebook's new policies on gun accessories? What's your position on gun control? As always, if you have anything to share, feel free to sound them off in the comments section below!
