If Elon Musk Supports the Second Amendment, Why Is X Still Banning Gun Ads?

Elon Musk has championed the First and Second Amendments in america Invoice of Rights. Nonetheless, X, previously Twitter, has a coverage that prohibits the promotion of weapons and weapon equipment worldwide. In impact, this bans paid promoting for all weapons and weapon equipment, even as far as to incorporate airsoft weapons, air weapons, paintball weapons, and imitation weapons. From enterprise.x.com:

This coverage applies to monetization on X and X’s paid promoting merchandise.

What’s the coverage?

X prohibits the promotion of weapons and weapon equipment globally.

Examples of weapons and weapon equipment embrace:

Weapons, together with airsoft weapons, air weapons, blow weapons, paintball weapons, vintage weapons, duplicate weapons, and imitation weapons
Rental of weapons (aside from from taking pictures ranges)
Stun weapons, taser weapons, mace, pepper spray, or different related self protection weapons
Swords, machetes, and different edged/bladed weapons
Fireworks, flamethrowers, and different pyrotechnic gadgets
Knives, together with butterfly knives, preventing knives, switchblades, disguised knives, and throwing stars

Most giant platforms have caved to anti-Second Modification propaganda. The X coverage probably predates Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter. Elon Musk has been a robust proponent of the Second Modification. The X coverage on weapons might change sooner or later, as every platform privately makes these selections.

Comcast Company banned commercials selling weapons or gun gross sales in 2013. Time Warner banned some gun promoting in 2013.  From opb.org:

So what this implies is that the principle form of standard media channels for promoting of different client merchandise will not be out there to gun producers. For instance, Comcast and Time Warner have initiated bans on firearms in 2013. Different main tv broadcasters like ESPN and Fox and CBS don’t settle for commercials for firearms or ammunition. And main digital and social media platforms like Google, Fb, YouTube, Twitter, prohibit advertisements for firearms and ammunition.

Such broad bans are having unintended penalties. Promoting is decentralized at this time and focused. Nationwide TV advertisements is probably not cost-effective for the firearms trade. This may occasionally not maintain true for X, Fb, or YouTube.

Being banned on giant platforms sends a refined message that weapons are dangerous. The absence of gun commercials is unlikely to persuade anybody that weapons will not be useful. Programming, each fiction and factual, exhibits many examples the place weapons are used for constructive functions. Anybody who research historical past sees many examples the place these with weapons rule these with out weapons. Promoting bans on main shops and networks push individuals who promote weapons and associated merchandise to promote in different methods. In at this time’s fractured and partisan media, this implies gun-related channels comparable to AmmoLand and fashionable gun influencers are in a position to entice extra promoting {dollars}. People who find themselves involved in buying weapons discover them in locations the place weapons are valued.

It’s much like what occurred after the Gun Management Act of 1968. The act pushed most informal sellers of weapons and ammunition out of {the marketplace}. When this correspondent grew up, it appeared that about half of the shops bought weapons and ammunition. It was widespread to see them bought in many alternative shops.  After 1968, gun gross sales moved into specialised gun shops. The gun shops turned facilities for the unfold of political info and nodes of political networks to arrange gun homeowners. They nonetheless serve that objective. The Web has turn out to be a more practical methodology of organizing and informing Second Modification supporters.  Influencers on the Web present extra particular, correct, and detailed reporting on Second Modification points than something in previous, giant legacy media.

It will be useful to the 2A neighborhood to see Elon Musk make a political assertion by permitting for firearms, ammunition, and equipment to be marketed on X. It might assist X stand out from Fb, Instagram, YouTube, and others. It might improve X’s repute as the liberty model. Elon Musk would acquire credibility by backing his views along with his actions.

This correspondent doesn’t fear about it. Elon Musk has already demonstrated he’s a Second Modification advocate.

The hassle to ban gun promoting has backfired. It has not labored. Contemplate the variety of weapons in at this time’s society. Because the Web turned fashionable within the mid-Nineties, the variety of privately owned firearms has skyrocketed. In 1995, there have been about 243 million privately owned firearms in america. Within the final 30 years, the quantity has elevated to about 540 million (as of December 2025), representing an almost 300 million enhance in firearms over the identical interval. The variety of firearms per individual in america has elevated from .890 in 1993 to about 1.57 firearms per individual within the USA at this time, primarily based on 540 million non-public firearms within the USA and a 2025 inhabitants of 343 million.

A few of this stupendous enhance is as a result of firearms at this time take a lot much less labor to make, distribute, and buy. They’re usually of higher high quality. The identical goes for ammunition. Firearms and ammunition at this time take a lot much less of an individual’s time to amass.

The character of actuality itself performs a job. Firearms enhance a person’s private energy. An individual with elevated private energy has benefits over those that lack it. Firearms are nice equalizers. A 100-pound lady with a pistol can intimidate a 250-pound man with out one. When each have firearms, parity is completed.

The ban on promoting for weapons has not had the impact that those that pushed for it desired. Society has sought to reestablish the Second Modification as a assure of empowerment for the weak and a test on authorities energy.

About Dean Weingarten:

Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a navy officer, was on the College of Wisconsin Pistol Staff for 4 years, and was first licensed to show firearms security in 1973. He taught the Arizona hid carry course for fifteen years till the aim of Constitutional Carry was attained. He has levels in meteorology and mining engineering, and retired from the Division of Protection after a 30 yr profession in Military Analysis, Improvement, Testing, and Analysis.