Facebook Changes Ad Policy on Firearm Accessories

If you're a gun owner, the ads you see on your Facebook page might be looking a little different after tomorrow.

The social network recently proclaimed it would start restricting paid, or "sponsored," ads for firearm accessories to audiences over 18 years old.

Facebook has had these restrictions in place on firearms and some accessories, like magazines, for a while now—but they have now expanded the list to include optics, flashlights, belts, holsters, and the like. Detractors of the expanded regulations argue that youth competitive shooters and hunters, and even members of the airsoft community, can utilize these products.

"We regularly review our policies to identify areas where we can improve. As part of these efforts, we've decided to make some changes to the way in which weapons accessories are advertised on Facebook," the company stated.

According to the social media juggernaut, the change in policy, slated to take place on June 21, won't apply to posts from user's friends or pages they follow. Only ads that are paid for by vendors that appear as "sponsored" posts will be affected by the rule change.

Facebook has approximately 214 million U.S. users, with nearly two-thirds of adults using the networking site, according to statistics provided by Pew Research.

Younger demographics are the most engaged in the platform; 8-in-10 of those aged 18 to 29 log on daily, and an estimated 6.8 million Americans aged 13 to 18 are believed to use Facebook.

You can read the announcement from Facebook here.