Summary
Thousands of Facebook and Instagram ads have illegally marketed gun silencers disguised as “fuel filters,” violating U.S. federal law and Meta’s ad policies.
These devices, linked to a Chinese drop-shipping network, are sold for as little as $50 and promoted using recycled videos and stolen content.
Despite some ad removals, new campaigns quickly reappear, targeting niche audiences, including military personnel.
The ads have sparked legal, cybersecurity, and national security concerns, with critics citing Meta’s insufficient transparency and moderation tools.
100% this.
There’s no cosmic law that says you must build a sprawling social network. If you can’t build it safely, then don’t build it.
If someone build a very profitable machine in the town square that shot out rusty nails and killed people every so often, people would shut it down. Well, hopefully.
Wait, if they can’t get huge how are we going to get our most brilliant people like Mark Zuckerberg and Peter Theil the sorts of money they need to pull the levers of power?