Popular gun manufacturer thanks Elon Musk after being suspended by Facebook
Smith & Wesson, the renowned American gun manufacturer, recently found itself in the midst of controversy after its Facebook account was indefinitely suspended. The suspension came after the social media platform flagged several of the company’s posts for promoting the sale of weapons. In response, Smith & Wesson took to X to express its gratitude towards Elon Musk and X for their support of free speech in the face of what the company described as ongoing attacks against the First and Second Amendments.
Founded in 1852 in Norwich, Connecticut, Smith & Wesson is now headquartered in Maryville, Tennessee, and stands as one of the most recognizable gun brands in America. With reported sales of $535.8 million in the 2024 fiscal year, the company has a longstanding history in the firearms industry.
In a statement released on X, Smith & Wesson revealed that despite its efforts to comply with Facebook’s community guidelines on firearms, its account was suspended indefinitely on November 22nd, 15 years after its creation. The manufacturer shared a screenshot of the suspension notice, indicating that Facebook had flagged several posts for violating rules related to the promotion of weapons.
Facebook’s commerce policy prohibits the promotion of buying, selling, and trading weapons, ammunition, and explosives. However, there are exceptions for legitimate brick-and-mortar and online retailers, with content restrictions still in place for minors.
While working to reinstate its account, Smith & Wesson encouraged its 1.6 million Facebook followers and fans to seek out platforms that align with their values of free speech and the right to bear arms. The company expressed its appreciation for Elon Musk and X for standing up for constitutional rights guaranteed by the First and Second Amendments.
Elon Musk responded to the post, affirming his belief in the Constitution and highlighting X’s decision to allow users to post the gun emoji, which had been replaced by a water gun on Twitter in 2018. The National Association for Gun Rights, a Second Amendment advocacy group with over 4.5 million activists, also voiced their support for X as a stronghold for free speech and gun rights.
In a separate post, the association praised X as one of the last major bastions for 2A and firearms content on social media, noting the increasing challenges faced by advocates in other platforms. Fox News Digital reached out to Meta, Facebook’s parent company, for comment but had not received a response at the time of publication.
As the debate over free speech and the right to bear arms continues to unfold, Smith & Wesson’s suspension serves as a reminder of the ongoing tensions surrounding these fundamental rights. In a digital landscape where censorship and restrictions are becoming more prevalent, the support of platforms like X becomes increasingly crucial for those who value the principles enshrined in the First and Second Amendments.
