Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05) today joined Congressman Pat Ryan (NY-18) and Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Bob Menendez (D-NJ) in introducing the Stopping the Fraudulent Sales of Firearms Act, a bill to prevent gun sellers from circumventing technology companies’ terms of service by making it illegal to fraudulently sell firearms and ammunition online.
Some technology companies have taken steps to ban the sale of firearms and ammunition on their platforms, but sellers often misrepresent guns as other items to circumvent such restrictions. For example, sellers advertise on platforms like Facebook’s Marketplace, claiming to sell stickers alongside images of gun makers’ logos. Stopping the Fraudulent Sales of Firearms Act would make the deceptive sale or transfer of firearms a federal crime.
The bill is cosponsored by Representative Dwight Evans (PA-03) and Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Cory Booker (D-NJ). It is endorsed by Everytown for Gun Safety, Giffords, and Brady.
“Background checks work, and everyone who tries to buy a gun should have to pass one,” said Rep. Scanlon. “It’s time to crack down on deceptive online sales practices that give dangerous people unchecked access to guns and make our communities less safe. I’m proud to lead this common sense legislation that would make these misleading practices illegal – one solution of many that we know will reduce gun violence and save lives.”
“Misrepresentations that allow illegally trafficked guns into our schools and on our streets must end now,” said Rep. Ryan. “I’m proud to join Congresswoman Scanlon in fighting to keep our children and communities safe and curbing the epidemic of gun violence.”
“The major tech companies have banned the sale of firearms on their sites but that hasn’t stopped dishonest individuals from selling guns online using deceptive methods,” said Senator Feinstein. “Our bill would make it illegal to circumvent a websites’ terms of service to sell a gun online. This is a commonsense approach to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals who want to avoid a background check by secretly buying weapons online.”
“Gun sellers and their buyers continue to find new ways to circumvent tech companies’ efforts to end the illegal sales of firearms on their platforms, putting the lives of millions of Americans and their families at risk,” said Senator Menendez. “With this common-sense bill, gun sellers who illegally sell, distribute or move their weapons and jeopardize public safety will pay the price for their actions. Legislation like this is necessary to protect our communities from the illegal use of firearms and semiautomatic assault weapons.”
The Stopping the Fraudulent Sales of Firearms Act is part of a broader push by Democrats to pass comprehensive gun violence prevention legislation. In July, over 100 members of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force sent a letter to Speaker McCarthy to bring gun violence prevention bills up for a vote. House Democrats have discharge petitions to advance common sense gun violence prevention policies for a floor vote, including universal background checks, banning assault weapons, safe storage, and closing the Charleston Loophole.
