Blumenthal, Murphy Statement On Changes To Facebook And Instagram Policies To Curb Gun Sales

(Washington, DC) – Today, U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) issued the following statement regarding Facebook’s action to curb the illegal sale of firearms. The company, which also owns Instagram, announced today that it would no longer allow sales posts that have a clear intent to evade the law. For example, if a user indicates that he or she would like to sell a gun without requiring a background check, Facebook would delete the post.

We’re glad that Facebook and Instagram have taken a stand against gun violence. Their commitment to delete posts that offer gun sales without a background check and prevent underage users from accessing private gun sales demonstrates a strong sense of responsibility and other companies should follow suit. The fight against gun violence isn’t something any one person or organization can take on alone. We’re going to get much better results if public and private organizations work together to curb our nation’s gun violence epidemic.

We also applaud the advocates who pushed Facebook and Instagram to implement these better, safer policies. These advocates are fighting tooth and nail to encourage Congress and private organizations to take a stand against gun violence, and we’re proud to stand with them every step of the way.