Gun Sellers Finding Way Around Facebook Ban

Those looking to sell guns have found a way of getting around Facebook's ban on the sale of firearms, The Wall Street Journal is reporting.

According to the newspaper, sellers are listing gun cases on Facebook's Marketplace feature at inflated prices. It's all designed to serve as code while trying to evade Facebook's efforts to screen postings for banned items.

Interested customers then contact the seller through private messages and arrange the deal.

Several weeks ago, one seller in North Carolina showed a photo on Marketplace of a hard, gray case with the title "Gun case." The seller was asking $950 for the case. Similar cases retail for about $30, the Journal noted.

In an interview with the newspaper via Facebook Messenger, the seller acknowledged he was actually selling an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle.

A Facebook spokeswoman said the social media platform takes immediate action against those found selling guns on the Marketplace.

"Selling guns on Facebook is a clear violation of our policies," the spokeswoman said, and "people buying and selling on Marketplace must comply with all local laws."

Facebook screens content on Marketplace, according to the spokeswoman, who did not specifically address the gun case tactic, the Journal said. The spokeswoman said enforcement of its policy "will never be perfect, but we are always looking for ways to improve our policies and enforcement."

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