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 The move comes as the United States debates the issue of access to
guns after a string of mass shootings. U.S. President Barack Obama
has urged social media companies to clamp down on gun sales
organized on their platforms.
It updates Facebook's regulated goods policy, introduced in March
2014, that banned people from selling marijuana, pharmaceuticals and
illegal drugs.
Facebook already prohibited private firearms sellers from
advertising "no background check required," or offering transactions
across U.S. state lines without a licensed dealer because the
company said such posts indicated a willingness to evade the law.
Licensed retailers will still be able to advertise firearms on
Facebook that lead to transactions outside of Facebook's service,
the spokeswoman said.
"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," Monika Bickert, Facebook's head of product policy, said in
a statement.
"We are continuing to develop, test, and launch new products to make
this experience even better for people and are updating our
regulated goods policies to reflect this evolution," Bickert said.
Facebook is the world's most popular online social network, with
1.59 billion users across the globe, 219 million of them in the
United States and Canada.
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The National Rifle Association, a lobbying group opposed to limits
on U.S. gun ownership rights, did not immediately respond to a
request for comment.
Groups advocating increased gun control applauded the new policy.
"Moms are grateful for the leadership shown by Facebook today," said
Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in
America, a part of the Everytown for Gun Safety campaign group. "Our
continued relationship with Facebook resulted in today's even
stronger stance, which will prevent dangerous people from getting
guns and save American lives.”
(Reporting by Dustin Volz; Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh and Bill
Rigby)
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