To: Mark Zuckerberg, CEO, Facebook and Monika Bickert, Facebook
Prohibit gun sales on Facebook
Stop the dangerous and illicit sales of guns on Facebook
Why is this important?
Dear Mr. Zuckerberg and Ms. Bickert,
I was very disturbed by the front page story in my local newspaper, The Santa Fe New Mexican, today. An intrepid reporter took a close look at a local Facebook group with over 14,000 members. The group is an online swap service where members can trade and sell furniture, clothes, baby gear...and guns. These gun sales are conducted without background checks. Anyone, ANYONE, including convicted felons can buy a gun via Facebook, no questions asked. Here is a link to the story if you'd like more detail: http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/on-facebook-gun-sales-go-unregulated/article_2795536a-8c61-5ba5-aba5-3f88d3546ae3.html
An online petition in 2014 forced Facebook to adopt new policies regarding gun sales. As part of that policy change posters are required to include a reminder that buyers of guns must comply with all gun laws. This is a weak attempt at best, even when it is followed, but the review of posts by The New Mexican shows that many posts do not include any such language. If Facebook cannot enforce its already lenient policies in regards to gun sales then it is time for them to prohibit the practice entirely. Craigslist has done so as have many newspaper classified sections.
We love social media as a way of connecting family, friends, and like-minded people. We do not support its use as a way to avoid complying with federal gun laws and background checks. Please prohibit the sales of guns on your site. Thank you.
I was very disturbed by the front page story in my local newspaper, The Santa Fe New Mexican, today. An intrepid reporter took a close look at a local Facebook group with over 14,000 members. The group is an online swap service where members can trade and sell furniture, clothes, baby gear...and guns. These gun sales are conducted without background checks. Anyone, ANYONE, including convicted felons can buy a gun via Facebook, no questions asked. Here is a link to the story if you'd like more detail: http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/on-facebook-gun-sales-go-unregulated/article_2795536a-8c61-5ba5-aba5-3f88d3546ae3.html
An online petition in 2014 forced Facebook to adopt new policies regarding gun sales. As part of that policy change posters are required to include a reminder that buyers of guns must comply with all gun laws. This is a weak attempt at best, even when it is followed, but the review of posts by The New Mexican shows that many posts do not include any such language. If Facebook cannot enforce its already lenient policies in regards to gun sales then it is time for them to prohibit the practice entirely. Craigslist has done so as have many newspaper classified sections.
We love social media as a way of connecting family, friends, and like-minded people. We do not support its use as a way to avoid complying with federal gun laws and background checks. Please prohibit the sales of guns on your site. Thank you.