Facebook and Instagram Ads Push Gun Silencers Disguised as Car Parts

Experts believe the business is based in China and relies on dropshipping programs. “This is most likely just a reseller selling a controversial or illegal product,” said Zach Edwards, a senior threat researcher at cybersecurity firm Silent Push who specializes in online data ecosystems.

Typically, Edwards explained, dropshippers wait for customers to place orders, then purchase the items from cheap online retailers, repackage them, and ship them to customers. Edwards said the operators behind the network likely created hundreds of websites, moderately branded products and created Facebook pages to market their products. “Even if some sites or ads are caught and removed, others will continue to run,” Edwards said. “It’s a spray and pray approach.”

Meta expressly prohibits advertising of weapons, suppressors, and related modifications. According to Meta, ads are reviewed by automated systems with the support of human reviewers. However, enforcement has been inconsistent: while at least 74 campaigns in our analysis were removed for violating the platform’s terms, the rest appeared to run successfully.

After WIRED contacted Meta, the company said it had removed the ads and associated ad accounts. However, a quick search of Meta’s ad library revealed that nearly identical ads have been posted since then.

“Bad actors continue to evolve their tactics to evade law enforcement, which is why we continue to invest in tools and technology to help identify and remove prohibited content,” Meta spokesman Daniel Roberts wrote in a statement.

Roberts said many of the ads flagged by Wired had little to no engagement, suggesting that few people saw the content. However, at least two of the ads reviewed by Wired had thousands of comments, including accusations that it was an ATF honeypot, complaints from purported buyers that the product never arrived, and even others claiming that the product was not the same as the one in the ad. Evaluation with the same effect. WIRED reached out to several reviewers who said they had purchased the product, but no one responded.

The ads also caught the attention of U.S. defense officials. An internal presentation given to Pentagon staff and seen by WIRED claimed that targeted advertising for fuel filters was being served to U.S. military personnel on government computers at the Pentagon. The presentation, delivered to senior generals including the Army’s chief information officer, examined how social media algorithms can be used to target members of the military, sources said.

Meta’s ad library offers limited transparency, so it’s unclear exactly how these ads are targeted. Researchers believe Meta’s powerful advertising tools could allow advertisers to use granular targeting options to find niche audiences that could appeal to gun enthusiasts or military personnel. While Roberts confirmed that Meta found no indication that the ads were targeting the military, Wired found that advertisers could easily target users who listed their job title as “U.S. Army” or “Military” on their profiles — —Meta’s estimated audience includes up to 46,134 people.

Meta’s platform has long fought to prevent the sale of guns and related products. Technology Transparency Project October 2024 Joint Report More than 230 ads for rifles and ghost guns were discovered on Facebook and Instagram in the past three months. Many of these ads direct buyers to third-party platforms such as Telegram to complete transactions. 2024, two los angeles county men He was accused of operating an “unlicensed firearms dealing business” and using his Instagram account to promote and market the sale of more than 60 firearms, including some untraceable ghost guns and weapons with serial numbers scratched off. Both have since pleaded guilty.

Silencers are rarely used in crime, but their use is increasing — almost 5 million The number of people registered in the United States increased from 1.3 million in 2017. 26-year-old software engineer Luigi Mangione Allegedly used 3D printing gun Equipped with a silencer, he shot and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a street in downtown Manhattan.