Friday, August 23, 2019

Report: Criminals Using Snapchat To Illegally Sell Guns

According to report this week, abuse of the communications and advertising features of Los Angeles-based Snapchat is playing a significant role in the sale of firearms outlawed in California. The report, from The Guardian, details a number of recent arrests made by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) of Snapchat users who had abused the social networking service to sell firearms that are banned in California. Snapchat bans posting of any ads that promote firearms, weapons, ammunition or related accessories, and also says the app cannot be used for any illegal activities--including buying and selling illegal weapons. However, the recent arrests show how easy it is for criminals to bypass those rules on any social networking platform.