Experts believe the operation is based in China and relies on a drop-shipping scheme. “It’s likely just a reshipper selling controversial or illegal products,” says Zach Edwards, a senior threat researcher at cybersecurity firm Silent Push who specializes in online data ecosystems.
Typically, Edwards explains, drop-shippers wait for a customer to place an order, then purchase the item from inexpensive online retailers, repackage it, and ship it to the customers. Edwards says that the operator behind the network is likely creating hundreds of websites, applying a moderate markup to the products, and spinning up Facebook pages to promote their items. “Even if some sites or ads get caught and taken down, others keep running,” Edwards says. “It’s a spray-and-pray method.”
Meta explicitly bans ads promoting weapons, silencers, and related modifications. According to Meta, ads are reviewed by an automated system with support from 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 run successfully.
After WIRED reached out to Meta, the company said that it removed the ads and associated advertising accounts. However, a quick search of Meta’s Ad Library revealed that nearly identical ones have since been published.
“Bad actors constantly evolve their tactics to avoid 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 that many of the ads flagged by WIRED had little to no engagement, suggesting few people ever 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. WIRED reached out to several commenters who said they had purchased the product—none responded.
The ads have also drawn the attention of US Department of Defense officials. An internal presentation to Pentagon staff, viewed by WIRED, claims that the targeted ad for a fuel filter had been served to US military personnel on a government computer at the Pentagon. The presentation, which a source says was delivered to high-ranking general officers, including the US Army’s chief information officer, raised flags over 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. Researchers suggest that Meta’s powerful ad tools, which allow advertisers to find niche audiences using granular targeting options, could be exploited 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’s platforms have long struggled to prevent the sale of firearms and related products. An October 2024 joint report by the Tech Transparency Project found that more than 230 ads for rifles and ghost guns had run 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 Los Angeles County men were charged with operating an “unlicensed firearm dealing business” that used Instagram accounts to advertise and market the sale of more than 60 firearms, which included some untraceable ghost guns and weapons with scratched-off serial numbers. Both individuals have since pleaded guilty.
Silencers are rarely used in crimes, but their use is on the rise—nearly 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 equipped with a silencer to fatally shoot UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a street in midtown Manhattan.
