The American firearms manufacturer Smith & Wesson, which since 1852 has been a leading manufacturer of pistols, revolvers, rifles, and shooting accessories, joined Facebook 15 years ago. It’s now been kicked off of Facebook for breaking the rules by posting stories about … wait for it … weapons.
“Despite our extensive efforts and resources spent on trying to adhere to Facebook’s ever-changing community guidelines on firearms, our account was suspended indefinitely on Friday, November 22nd, 15 years after its original creation. In an era where free speech and the right to bear arms are under constant attack, we want to thank @elonmusk and @X for supporting free speech and our constitutional rights guaranteed by the 1st and 2nd Amendments. While we work to reinstate our account, we encourage our 1.6 million Facebook followers and fans to seek out platforms that represent these shared values,” the company wrote on X, where its account has 500,00 followers.
Daisy BB gun wrote a sympathetic response, saying it’s having the same problem with Facebook.
“We at Daisy (yes, the Red Ryder BB gun company) totally understand and echo your thanks to @elonmusk for providing us a platform that still supports freedom of speech. We, too, are on our last legs at the meta platforms. Sad,” the company said.
Because of Facebook’s uneven rules, this story will not be included on the Must Read Alaska Facebook page but will be found on X.