Facebook is banning sites that host digital blueprints for 3D-printed guns. The decision comes as US states attempt to block such instructions from being published. A settlement in July between the US State Department and Defense Distributed, an open-source group that created the first 3D-printed gun, enabled the group to make the gun code available. In a blog post, Facebook’s head of global policy management, Monika Bickert, said it was “disappointing” that some people were using 3D printing technology “to build weapons out of untraceable materials.” Facebook has stated that instructions on printing firearms breach the company’s “Community Standards”. However, that was stalled when a federal judge on July 31 granted a temporary nationwide injunction that prevented Defense Distributed from uploading the plans. Sites that host the files can still be posted through Facebook.
Facebook is banning sites that host digital blueprints for 3D-printed guns. The decision comes as US states attempt to block such instructions from being published. A settlement in July between the US State Department and Defense Distributed, an open-source group that created the first 3D-printed gun, enabled the group to make the gun code available. In a blog post, Facebook’s head of global policy management, Monika Bickert, said it was “disappointing” that some people were using 3D printing technology “to build weapons out of untraceable materials.” Facebook has stated that instructions on printing firearms breach the company’s “Community Standards”. Sites that host the files can still be posted through Facebook.