Facebook Cracks Down On Private Gun Sales
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Facebook, the world's largest social network, is cracking down on gun sales on its site and through its photo sharing service Instagram.
To clamp down on unlicensed gun transactions, Facebook is banning private person-to-person sales of guns.
"We were really excited because part of what the President was trying to do and part of what our efforts in Harrisburg and Washington are to do are to bring more gun sales into the background check system," said Shira Goodman, executive director of Cease Fire PA.
Facebook already prohibits people from offering marijuana, pharmaceuticals and illegal drugs for sale and says its updating its policy to include guns.
"To have venues like Facebook and Instagram where people can meet and negotiate these private sales outside of the background check system is dangerous. It was allowing legal avenues where people avoid background checks," said Goodman.
Licensed gun dealers and gun clubs can still maintain Facebook pages and post on Instagram.
Facebook says it will rely on its vast network of users to reports any violations of the new rules and will remove any post that violates the policy.