What's Hot

    The Day the Music Died.

    July 1, 2023

    Analysis: Joe Biden has lied about guns 304 times  

    June 28, 2023

    Celebrating the Anniversary of DC v. Heller

    June 26, 2023
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Intel.BDU
    SHOP
    • Home
    • Latest Intel
      • 2A in America
      • BDU In The News
    • Training & Reviews
      • Education
      • How-Tos
      • Product Reviews
        • Gear
        • Handguns
        • Rifles
        • Suppressors
        • Triggers
      • Survival Dispatch
    • Press Releases
    • Join the BDU Community
    Intel.BDU
    Home » Intel » Facebook Suspending Gun Dealers Who Follow Their Rules
    2A in America

    Facebook Suspending Gun Dealers Who Follow Their Rules

    Lee WilliamsBy Lee WilliamsAugust 26, 2022Updated:August 26, 2022No Comments5 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Facebook suspending gun dealers
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    Facebook has never been friendly to gun owners. Most have done a stretch or two in Facebook jail for one ridiculous reason or another, had their posts secretly shadow-banned so no one could see them, or had them straight-up disappear the instant they’re posted.

    Surprisingly, federally licensed firearm dealers have had more freedom on the social media giant, at least in theory. Long before the Biden-Harris administration declared war on gun dealers, Facebook gave them more latitude than regular folks without an FFL.

    According to Facebook’s terms of service, users were prohibited from posting “attempts to buy, sell, or trade, firearms, firearm parts, ammunition, explosives, or lethal enhancements except when posted by a Page, Group or Instagram profile representing legitimate brick-and-mortar entities, including retail businesses, websites, brands or government agencies (e.g. police department, fire department) or a private individual sharing content on behalf of legitimate brick-and-mortar entities.”

    In other words, if you had a “legitimate brick-and-mortar” gun shop or sold firearms online, you were good to go. Licensed dealers could post guns, gun parts, ammo, and accessories along with their prices.

    Now, all of that has changed.

    Corey Schnagl, owner of The Cliffs Sporting Goods in Bolivar, Missouri, said Facebook’s harassment has been nonstop.

    “Even though I follow their rules for a licensed gun shop, Facebook still blocks my stuff,” Schnagl said. “I’ve been blocked from posting for seven days. For 30 days I couldn’t invite people to my page, and all my posts in groups are knocked to the bottom so no one sees them.”

    In addition, members of Schnagl’s group cannot invite their friends to like his page, and there have been other restrictions. Posts containing gun photos, which used to be seen by thousands of people, now might reach hundreds, if he’s lucky.

     “I only have 140 followers because they can’t share it anywhere,” he said. “No one is reporting my posts. It’s Facebook ‘catching’ me, but I’m following their terms of service and doing nothing wrong.”

     Schnagl is a member of a private group comprised of other FFLs, where Facebook’s harassment is a constant topic of discussion. He estimates he is losing thousands of dollars each month.

     “Facebook is strangling my business,” he said.

    Inconsistency

    Bob Croumlich’s Wild West Guns and Ammo is located on a dirt road in rural Michigan.

    “The biggest thing from my perspective that I find frustrating – and I can work around their rules or whatever regulations they want – is that they’re not enforcing the rules as they appear in writing,” Courmlich said. “They pick and choose and change the rules. They are extremely inconsistent.”

    Croumlich said he will post a picture of a firearm, and the post will receive good interaction. Just a day or two later, a similar post will earn him a seven-day ban.

    “I don’t know what I’m allowed to post and not post,” he said. “There’s no real appeal. I’ll try and all I get is an automated response saying Facebook investigated and determined they acted properly.”

    Croumlich and every other dealer interviewed for this story, suspect there are other reasons for Facebook’s recent increase in harassment.

    “I see today that Zuckerberg admitted to censoring information at the request of the government,” Courmlich said. “I think it’s certainly possible he might be doing this on his own or at the request of the administration. Facebook is left-leaning. I definitely think there is bias there.”

    Pushback

    “It’s straight-up censorship,” said Lane Elkins, owner of CheapGunClub.Com in Sarasota, Florida.

    When he experienced harassment similar to Schnagl’s, Elkins contacted Facebook’s oversight board, which supposedly conducts an independent review outside of Facebook.

    “I am a federally licensed firearm dealer (FFL) advertising my products on Facebook. I am not selling the products or the service, just promoting them to be sold in person or online,” he wrote.

    The oversight board took no action, and the harassment continues.

    He posted a picture of ammunition Friday without mentioning its price, and the post quickly disappeared.

    A previous post cost Elkins a 30-day suspension, even though it did not violate Facebook’s terms of service for a licensed gun dealer.

    Like, Schnagl and Croumlich, Elkins estimates Facebook is costing him thousands of dollars each month.

    “Facebook is definitely important for any business that wants a good social media presence,” Elkins said. “I don’t get a ton of business from Facebook, but having that social media presence is extremely important.”

    The dealers understand that when Facebook began it was a private company with its own rules and terms of service. Today, Facebook has nearly 3 billion members.

    “It’s much bigger now – like a public utility,” Elkins said. “It needs to be treated as such. It needs more scrutiny.”

    The Second Amendment Foundation’s Investigative Journalism Project wouldn’t be possible without you. Click here to make a tax-deductible donation to support pro-gun stories like this.


    Big Daddy Unlimited advocates strongly for Second Amendment rights because we believe that the right to keep and bear arms exists to protect all of the other God-given rights of American citizens. Become a member today to join our community of freedom-loving Americans, and let’s work together to support and defend our Second Amendment rights.

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Lee Williams

    Related Posts

    The Day the Music Died.

    July 1, 2023
    Read More

    Analysis: Joe Biden has lied about guns 304 times  

    June 28, 2023
    Read More

    Celebrating the Anniversary of DC v. Heller

    June 26, 2023
    Read More

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    Editors Picks

    ATF Targets Gun Owners With Secret Gun Control

    March 29, 2022

    Must-See, Viral Moments With The ALAMO-15 AR Trigger

    March 25, 2022

    ATF Compiling Secret Firearm Registry Targeting Law-Abiding Gun Owners

    March 10, 2022

    The Top Five WORST Gun Myths

    January 25, 2022
    Ads
    Top Reviews
    All Intel

    WATCH: One Scope to Rule Them All – The Leupold MK5 Review

    By Denny Chapman
    Read More
    All Intel

    WATCH: The Most Robust M-LOK Handguard – The Daniel Defense RIS III

    By Big Daddy Unlimited
    Read More
    All Intel

    Denny Chapman’s Top 5 Concealed Carry Picks

    By Denny Chapman
    Read More
    Demo
    Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest
    • Home
    • Latest Intel
    • Training & Education
    • Join the BDU Community
    • Press Releases
    • Meet the Team
    © 2023 Designed by High Kaliber Solutions.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.