Maryville, Tennessee – After facing a suspension of its Facebook account, American gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson found support from prominent figures like Elon Musk and X. They expressed gratitude for backing free speech in the midst of what they deemed ongoing attacks against the First and Second Amendments.
Following the suspension, a spokesperson for Meta, Facebook’s parent company, clarified that the account suspension had been a mistake and was subsequently reinstated. Despite this, Smith & Wesson took to X to emphasize the importance of Musk’s advocacy for free speech, criticizing Meta for the suspension triggered by posts promoting weapon sales.
Established in Norwich, Connecticut, in 1852, Smith & Wesson is currently headquartered in Maryville, Tennessee. It stands out as one of the most recognizable gun brands in the United States, bringing in $535.8 million in sales during the 2024 fiscal year. The company expressed frustration over the suspension, highlighting their efforts to adhere to Facebook’s evolving community guidelines on firearms prior to the account’s indefinite suspension on November 22, 15 years after its creation.
Receiving a screenshot of the suspension notice from Facebook, Smith & Wesson was informed that several posts on November 22, 13, and July 18 had violated promotion rules for firearms. Although Meta acknowledged the error and reinstated the account, the incident led Smith & Wesson to urge its 1.6 million Facebook followers to seek out platforms aligned with their values of free speech and the right to bear arms.
In an era fraught with threats to free speech and gun rights, Smith & Wesson expressed gratitude towards Elon Musk and X for their support of constitutional rights provided by the 1st and 2nd Amendments. Musk reciprocated the sentiment, affirming his belief in the Constitution and alluding to X’s reinstatement of the gun emoji after Twitter replaced it with a water gun in 2018.
Joining the conversation, the National Association for Gun Rights, a prominent Second Amendment advocacy group, appreciated the platform provided by X amidst challenges from companies deemed antagonistic to constitutional values. The group criticized Facebook’s actions while praising X as one of the primary platforms supporting free speech and gun rights in the current landscape of online media.
In a separate post, the National Association for Gun Rights recognized X as a stronghold for 2nd Amendment and firearm content, contrasting it with other platforms tightening restrictions. The organization emphasized the importance of platforms preserving free speech and the right to bear arms in an increasingly hostile digital environment.