Facebook is still silent after suddenly banning and then re-approving this popular gun maker

Popular American gun maker Smith & Wesson says it is still in the dark after its Facebook account was suddenly suspended last month.

Although the account has since been reinstated, a company representative told Fox News Digital, “Despite multiple attempts to reach Facebook to discuss the matter, to date we have not had direct communication with any of their employees.”

The gun company, headquartered in Maryville, Tennessee, said employees suddenly received a notification from Facebook on Nov. 22 that their official Smith & Wesson account had been “suspended indefinitely.”

“Facebook has not yet communicated any warnings about page suspension,” the representative said.

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The representative said Facebook pointed to five posts from December 2023 that “suggest they did not follow their community guidelines.”

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“The posts in question included consumer advertising campaigns, charity auctions and product release announcements,” the Smith & Wesson representative said. “Although Facebook’s policies are constantly changing, placing a burden on users to comply, we do not believe this content violates Facebook’s policies or Community Guidelines, and similar posts have been published in the past without issue. “

Facebook’s commerce policy prohibits the promotion of the purchase, sale, and trade of weapons, ammunition, and explosives. However, according to Facebook parent company Meta’s website, there is an exception for legitimate brick-and-mortar and online retailers, but their content is still accessible to minors.

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According to the representative, the page was reactivated on November 27 after the gun manufacturer made a public statement about the incident on X.

In the post, which has been viewed 3.1 million times, Smith & Wesson criticized Facebook and thanked Elon Musk and the company encouraged its 1.6 million Facebook followers and fans to “go to platforms” that promote the “shared values” of the company freedom of expression and the right to bear arms.

Although the page was eventually reinstated, the representative told Fox News Digital that the company still had no contact with Meta and “no reason was given for the reinstatement, other than a comment on social media from a Facebook representative.” , which said the lockdown was in effect. ‘Error.'”

The same Meta employee, Andy Stone, also referred Fox News Digital to the X post and posited that Smith & Wesson’s suspension was an accident. In the post, Stone said: “The page was blocked in error and we have now restored it. We apologize that this happened.”

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With that in mind, the Smith & Wesson representative said the manufacturer is “grateful to Elon Musk for creating a public platform that respects the right of Americans to express their opinions, ALL opinions and not just those that agree with the “consistent with one agenda or another” – particularly in the context of our constitutional rights guaranteed by the 1st and 2nd Amendments.”

The spokesperson said that since their account was suspended, they have become aware that many other social media users have been similarly silenced and banned from the platform.

“While we were encouraged by the restoration of our account, we were equally disappointed by the number of other users who responded to our statement. “While we obviously do not know the details of these incidents, we encourage Meta to continue working toward a more inclusive platform that allows freedom for respectful dialogue from all perspectives, which is a hallmark of American society.”

Founded in 1852 in Norwich, Connecticut, Smith & Wesson is one of the most recognizable gun brands in America, with fiscal 2024 sales of $535.8 million.

Original source of the article: Facebook is still silent after suddenly banning and then re-approving this popular gun maker