Popular American firearms manufacturer Smith & Wesson said it remains in the dark after its Facebook account was abruptly suspended last month.
The account has since been reinstated, but a company representative told Fox News Digital, “We have attempted to contact Facebook several times to discuss this matter, but to date we have not been able to contact anyone directly from Facebook staff. “I haven't taken it,” he said.
The Maryville, Tenn.-based firearms company said its employees suddenly received a notice from Facebook on Nov. 22 that the official Smith & Wesson account had been “indefinitely suspended.”
“Until now, we had not received any warning from Facebook that the page would be suspended,” the official said.
Concealed carry supporters say Biden-Harris policies may be slowing the rise in gun ownership among Republican women
A handgun is displayed at the Smith & Wesson booth at the Shooting, Hunting and Outdoors Show in Las Vegas on January 19, 2016. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)
The representative said Facebook cited five posts dating back to December 2023 that “suggest that it did not follow its community guidelines.”
“The posts in question included consumer promotional campaigns, charity auctions, and product release announcements,” a Smith & Wesson representative explained. “While Facebook's policies are constantly changing and burdensome for users to follow, we do not believe this content violates Facebook's policies or community guidelines, and we have not posted similar content in the past.” has been published without any problems.”
Facebook's commerce policy prohibits the sale, purchase, or facilitation of any trade in weapons, ammunition, or explosives. However, according to Facebook's parent company Meta's website, there are exceptions for legitimate brick-and-mortar stores and online retailers, but their content is still restricted to minors.
'Smoking gun document' proves Americans are censoring Facebook on behalf of the White House, says Jim Jordan
Facebook CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg speaks at the Silicon Slopes Tech Summit in Salt Lake City, Utah, on January 31, 2020. (George Fry/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
According to a representative, the page was reinstated on November 27th after the gun manufacturer released an official statement about the X incident.
In the post, which has 3.1 million views, Smith & Wesson criticizes Facebook and criticizes Elon Musk for supporting free speech amid what it calls a continued attack on the First and Second Amendments. I would like to thank Mr. and Mr. The company encouraged its 1.6 million Facebook followers and fans to “find a platform” that represents “shared values” of free speech and the right to bear arms.
Although the page was eventually reinstated, its representative told Fox News Digital that the company still has not been in touch with Meta and that “a Facebook representative said on social media that the outage is 'ongoing.' No basis for reinstatement has been provided other than the comment stating that.” error. '”
Fellow Metastaffer Andy Stone also led Fox News Digital to the X Post, assuming the Smith & Wesson suspension was an accident. “The page was suspended in error, but has now been restored. We apologize that this happened,” Stone said in the post.
Trump FCC-elect says bringing 'censorship cartel' to heel will be 'top priority': 'It has to end'
Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk (Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Smith & Wesson representatives said throughout that the manufacturer is “creating a public square platform that respects the right of Americans to express their opinions, all opinions, not just those that align with some agenda.” I'm grateful to Elon Musk for that.” – Especially as it pertains to constitutional rights guaranteed by the First and Second Amendments. ”
The spokesperson said that since the account was suspended, they have noticed that many other social media users have been similarly silenced and deplatformed.
“While we are encouraged by the reinstatement of our accounts, other users who reacted to our statement on X and commented that their accounts were deplatformed without warning and had very similar experiences. “We were equally disappointed by the numbers,” he said. representative. “While we obviously do not know the details of these cases, we urge Meta to continue working towards a more inclusive platform that allows for the freedom of respectful dialogue from all points of view. This is a characteristic of American society.”
Founded in 1852 in Norwich, Connecticut, Smith & Wesson is one of America's most recognizable gun brands, reporting sales of $535.8 million in fiscal year 2024.
