Facebook Bans Sites That Host Blueprints of 3D-Printed Guns (cbsnews.com)

Yesterday, Facebook said it's banning websites that host and share blueprints of 3D-printed guns. "Sharing instructions on how to print firearms using 3D printers is not allowed under our Community Standards," said a spokesperson in an email statement. "In line with our policies, we are removing this content from Facebook." BuzzFeed was first to report the news: The move comes amid a rush by states to block these instructions from being posted. A July settlement between the State Department and Defense Distributed, an open-source organization that created the first completely 3D-printed gun, cleared the way for the group to publish the gun code. However, that was stalled when a federal judge on July 31 granted a temporary nationwide injunction that prevented Defense Distributed from uploading the plans. The injunction prevents Defense Distributed from publishing the plans. But the instructions are widely available online, on sites such as CodeIsFreeSpeech.com -- which hosts plans for parts of an AR-15, a Beretta, and Defense Distributed's Liberator. Attempts to post the site on a user's News Feed, through Facebook's Messenger app, or on Instagram (which Facebook owns) produce a variety of error messages. Other sites that host the files can still be posted through Facebook. Specifically, Facebook says that 3D-printed guns violate the regulated goods section of the social giant's community standards, which limits gun sales and exchanges to licensed dealers.

Comments

Only Children Censor

[UnknownSoldier]

The fact that they are censoring certain sites and not others shows a couple of things:

* They are a bunch of children who think they have the moral right to be the thought police. What gives them the right to decide what is acceptable or not?
* There are FAR worse sites that are allowed to be linked -- why aren't THOSE also removed?

Since corporations are ...

* legal entities
* have the same free speech rights as individuals (2010 ruling of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission with a 5-4 decision)
* are covered by the First Amendment

... does that mean they are infringing upon the rights of others when they block OTHER free speech rights?

Is communication on FaceBook's platform considered to be on "private property"?

Is Facebook a "common carrier" or not when they have become a de facto Common / Town Square?

If they acted like adults, why can't they allow the link but ALSO put up a banner saying "We believe this link to be irresponsible" .. and then let the user decide if the link is worth clicking or not?

Slashdot's own moderation system of downvoting, but keeping, unpopular links, is the better way to handle this.

The fact that they are censoring communication that they (politically) disagree with just proves that they are immature and scared and operating under the modus operandi of "CYA".

--
Only children censor.
Adults communicate and even laugh about taboo subjects.

Re:Yawn.

[PopeRatzo]

Gun control is about culture, not "saving lives".

People in Chicago are well-acquainted with your "culture". So are the people of Parkland, Florida, Las Vegas, Nevada, and Newtown, Connecticut. Dude, if your "culture" is dependent on schoolchildren being massacred and gang-bangers spraying bullets, you've got a fucked-up culture. And make no mistake, inner-city gangbanger gunslingers are just as much part of "gun culture" as some PTSD oathkeeper with a badge murdering a teenager by shooting him in the back or Nikolas Cruz mowing down sophomores trying to get to study hall. Or any member of that Russian front-group, the NRA going to Kroger with camo pants and his Colt in a kidney holster. Fuck all y'all. You're all "gun culture", and people are getting sick of it. Mark my words, your unwillingness to accept reasonable regulation on your fetish is going to end up costing you your gun rights. Bet on it.