Experts believe the operation is based in China and is based on a dropshipping scheme. “It’s probably just a forwarder selling controversial or illegal products,” says Zach Edwards, senior threat researcher at cybersecurity firm Silent Push, who specializes in online data ecosystems.
Typically, Edwards explains, shippers wait for a customer to place an order, then purchase the item from inexpensive online retailers, repackage it, and ship it to customers. Edwards says the operator behind the network is likely creating hundreds of websites, applying a modest markup to products and creating Facebook pages to promote their items. “Even if some sites or ads are detected and removed, others continue to run,” says Edwards. “It’s a spray and pray method.”
Meta explicitly prohibits ads that promote weapons, silencers, and related mods. According to Meta, ads are reviewed by an automated system with the support of human moderators. However, enforcement has been inconsistent: while at least 74 of the ad campaigns in our analysis were removed for violating the platforms’ terms, the rest appeared to have been executed successfully.
After WIRED contacted Meta, the company said it removed the ads and associated ad accounts. However, a quick search of Meta’s ad library revealed that almost identical ads have been running since then.
“Bad actors are constantly evolving their tactics to avoid law enforcement, which is why we continue to invest in tools and technology to help identify and remove prohibited content,” Meta spokesperson Daniel Roberts wrote in a statement.
Roberts says many of the ads flagged by WIRED had little to no engagement, suggesting few people saw this 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 claiming the item worked as advertised. announced. WIRED contacted several reviewers who said they had purchased the product; none responded.
The ads have also caught the attention of U.S. Department of Defense officials. An internal presentation to Pentagon staff, seen by WIRED, claims that the ad targeting a fuel filter had been delivered to US military personnel on a government computer at the Pentagon. The presentation, which one source said was given to high-ranking general officers including the U.S. Army’s chief information officer, raised alarm about how social media algorithms are being used to target service members.
Meta’s ad library provides limited transparency, leaving it unclear exactly how these ads are targeted. The researchers suggest that Meta’s powerful advertising tools, which allow 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 these ads were targeting the military, WIRED found that advertisers can easily target users who list their job title as “US Army.” or “military” on their profiles, an audience that Meta estimates includes. up to 46,134 people.
Meta platforms have long been fighting to prevent the sale of firearms and related products. An October 2024 joint report from the Tech Transparency Project found that more than 230 ads for ghost rifles and guns had been posted on Facebook and Instagram in nearly three months. Many of these ads directed buyers to third-party platforms like Telegram to complete transactions. In 2024, two men from Los Angeles County were charged with operating an “unlicensed firearms sales business” that used Instagram accounts to advertise and market the sale of more than 60 firearms, including some untraceable ghost guns and guns with serial numbers. scraped series. Both individuals have since pleaded guilty.
Silencers are rarely used in crimes, but their use is increasing, almost 5 million are registered 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 fitted with a silencer to fatally shoot the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, Brian Thompson, on a street in midtown Manhattan. .