Experts believe that the operation is based in China and depends on the shipping scheme. “It’s probably just reshippers selling controversial or illegal products,” said Zach Edwards, senior threat researcher at cybersecurity firm Silent Push that specializes in online data ecosystems. Typically, Edwards explained, drop shippers wait for customers to order and then buy the item from a low-cost online retailer, repackage it, and ship it to the customer. Edwards said the operator behind the network would create hundreds of websites, apply moderate markups to products, and spin up Facebook pages to promote the items. “While some sites or ads are caught and taken down, others continue to run,” Edwards said. “It’s the spray and pray method.” Meta strictly prohibits ads promoting weapons, suppressors, and related modifications. According to Meta, ads are reviewed by automated systems with the support of human moderators. However, enforcement is inconsistent: While at least 74 ad campaigns in our analysis were removed for violating the platform’s terms, others appeared to be successful. and related advertising accounts. However, a quick search of the Meta Ad Library shows that almost exactly the same has been published. Meta spokesman Daniel Roberts wrote in a statement. Roberts said that many of the ads flagged by WIRED had no engagement, indicating that few people ever saw this content. However, at least two ads seen by WIRED have thousands of comments, including accusations that it’s an ATF honeypot, complaints from buyers whose products never arrived, and even testimonials from others who claim the item works as advertised. WIRED reached out to several commenters who said they had purchased the product—no one responded. The ad also caught the attention of US Department of Defense officials. An internal presentation to Pentagon staff, seen by WIRED, revealed that targeted ads for fuel filters had been served to US military personnel on government computers at the Pentagon. The presentation, which the source said was sent to high-level general officers, including the US Army’s chief information officer, raised flags about how social media algorithms are being used to target service members. The Meta Ad Library provides limited transparency, so it’s not exactly clear. how this ad is targeted. Researchers suggest that Meta’s powerful advertising tool, which allows advertisers to find specific audiences using granular targeting options, could be leveraged to reach gun enthusiasts or military personnel. While Roberts confirmed that Meta did not detect any indication that the ad was targeting the military, WIRED found that advertisers could easily target users who listed their job title as “US Army” or “military” in their profiles—an audience that Meta estimated included up to 46,134 people. The Meta platform has long fought to prevent the sale of firearms and related products. An October 2024 joint report by the Technology Transparency Project found that more than 230 ads for guns and ghost guns had run on Facebook and Instagram in nearly three months. Many of these ads direct buyers to third-party platforms like Telegram to complete transactions. In 2024, two Los Angeles County men were charged with running an “unlicensed firearms transaction business” that used their Instagram accounts to advertise and market the sale of more than 60 firearms, which included several ghost guns and weapons that could not be tracked by serial numbers. Both individuals have since pleaded guilty. Silencers are rarely used in crimes, but use in up-almost 5 million users in the United States, up from 1.3 million in 2017. Last month, 26-year-old software engineer Luigi Mangione allegedly used a 3D-printed gun equipped with a silencer to shoot UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a street in midtown Manhattan.
