Facebook does not want people to find blueprints for 3D-printed guns on its platform.
The social networking giant said that it would ban websites that display and share detailed information on building 3D-printed weapons, according to BuzzFeed News, which first reported the news on Thursday.
A Facebook spokesperson told Coins2Day in an email that the move to ban sites from distributing the controversial blueprints falls in line with the company’s existing policies intended to limit the sale of guns on its service.
“Sharing instructions on how to manufacture firearms using 3D printers or CNC milling machines is not allowed under our Community Standards,” the spokesperson said, referencing the fact that these blueprints can also be used to create guns through more conventional machinery. “In line with our policies, we are removing this content from Facebook.”
According to a Facebook help center page that explains some of the company’s policies regarding weaponry, the company does not allow “the purchase, sale or trade of firearms, ammunition and explosives between private individuals.”
The spokesperson said that the company expects to update its policy around 3D-printed guns, but did not say when or elaborate on what needs to be amended or added.
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Facebook’s decision to ban the distribution of 3D-printed gun blueprints comes amid fierce debate over whether sharing the blueprints is considered an act of free speech. In late July, several state attorneys sued the Trump administration in an attempt to block its decision to settle with the blueprint’s creators Defense Distributed that would let the group post the materials.