Facebook has recently prohibited the buying and selling of guns in its website. The move forbids users of the online social network and its Instagram service to coordinate person-to-person private sales of guns and other firearms.
The ban which was announced Friday seems to be related to the U.S. government's move to restrict gun ownership after a series of mass shootings in the country.
President Barack Obama has issued requests to social media networks to shut down firearms sale conducted in their websites. He has announced early this month that the government is renewing its efforts to control gun violence, including the practice of expanded background checks.
"Over the last two years, more and more people have been using Facebook to discover products and to buy and sell things to one another," says Monika Bickert, head of product policy at Facebook.
She also said that the company continues to develop, test and launch new products so that Facebook users will experience better service. According to Bickert, the social networking giant is always updating its regulated-goods policies to mirror such developments.
Being the world's first and now the most popular social network, Facebook's decision to disallow gun sales will impact its 1.59 billion users all over the globe. About 219 of them are situated in the United States and Canada.
It is apparent that the members of the National Rifle Association, a group that lobbies against the limits being imposed by the U.S. on gun ownership, will be considerably affected by Facebook's recent announcement. However, the group has not responded to requests for comments.
But associations that supported gun control measures applauded the current U.S. policy and Facebook's response to it.
"Moms are grateful for the leadership shown by Facebook today," says Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.
