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Experts believe that the operation is based in China and is based on a drop shipping scheme. “It’s likely a shipper selling controversial or illegal products,” says Zach Edwards, senior threat researcher specializing in online data ecosystems at cybersecurity firm Silent Push.
Typically, Edwards explains, shippers wait for a customer to place an order, then buy the product from low-cost online retailers, repackage it, and ship it to the customer. Edwards says the operator behind the network likely creates hundreds of websites, applies moderate markup to products and spins Facebook pages to promote their products. “Even if some sites or ads are caught and taken down, others continue to work,” Edwards said. “It’s a spray and pray method.”
The meta expressly prohibits ads promoting guns, silencers, and related mods. According to Meta, ads are reviewed by an automated system with support from human moderators. However, implementation was inconsistent: At least 74 of the ad campaigns we analyzed were removed for violating the platforms’ terms, while the rest continued successfully.
After WIRED contacted Meta, the company said it had removed the ads and associated ad accounts. However, a quick search of the Meta’s Announcement Library revealed that nearly identical ones have been published since then.
“Bad actors are constantly improving their tactics to avoid enforcement, so we continue to invest in tools and technology to identify and remove banned content,” said Meta spokesperson Daniel Roberts.
Roberts says many of the ads flagged by WIRED are unrelated or few people have seen the content. However, at least two ads reviewed by WIRED had thousands of comments, including accusations that it was an ATF honeypot, complaints from self-identified buyers whose products never arrived, and even testimonials from others who claimed the product worked as advertised. WIRED reached out to several commenters who said they had purchased the product — none responded.
The ads also attracted the attention of the officials of the US Ministry of Defense. An internal presentation to Pentagon employees seen by WIRED alleges that a targeted ad for a fuel filter was served to US military personnel on a Pentagon government computer. A presentation to senior general officers, including the US Army’s chief information officer, raised flags about how social media algorithms are being used to target the military, the source said.
Meta’s Ad Library provides limited transparency, and it’s unclear exactly how these ads are targeted. The researchers suggest that Meta’s powerful advertising tools, which allow advertisers to find niche audiences using granular targeting options, could be used to reach gun enthusiasts or military personnel. While Roberts confirmed that Meta found no indication that these ads were targeted at the military, WIRED found that advertisers could easily target users who listed their job addresses as “US Army” or “military” in their profiles — which Meta estimated audience up to 46 134 people.
Meta platforms have long fought to prevent the sale of firearms and related products. October 2024 joint report by the Tech Transparency Project It found that more than 230 ads for rifles and ghost guns were posted on Facebook and Instagram in about three months. Many of these ads directed buyers to third-party platforms such as Telegram to complete transactions. In 2024 two Los Angeles County men They were accused of running an “unlicensed firearms business” that used their Instagram accounts to advertise and market the sale of more than 60 firearms, including some untraceable ghost guns and guns with serial numbers removed. After that, both men confessed their guilt.
Silencers are rarely used in crimes, but their use is increasing – almost 5 million In 2017, more than 1.3 million were registered in the United States. Last month 26-year-old software engineer Luigi Mangione It allegedly uses a 3D printed weapon A silencer was rigged to kill UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a street in midtown Manhattan.
