The owner of a Jeannette-based weapons marketing internet site contends he and his company were improperly removed from two social media platforms and suggested his conservative, pro-gun politics were the cause, according to a lawsuit filed this week in Westmoreland County.
Armslist LLC and owner Jonathan Gibbon of Jeannette said in January 2020 both Facebook and Instagram closed off access to and removed his private and business accounts without explanation.
According to the lawsuit, Armslist and Gibbon contend there was no basis for those actions and no policies of Facebook or Instagram were violated.
“Armslist doesn’t sell or market guns. It’s a site that is similar to Craigslist, and it drives traffic to its site by making posts on social media. To do that, they make posts supporting the Second Amendment,” said Jay Carson, Armslist’s Cleveland-based attorney.
Gibbon, a lawyer from Jeannette, has owned Armslist since its inception in 2007. He, along with one of his employees, filed the lawsuit that demands Facebook and Instagram restore their accounts. No monetary damages are being sought in the lawsuit.
Neither Facebook nor Instagram responded to requests for comment.
Source: Jeannette-based gun marketplace website sues Facebook, Instagram over removal | TribLIVE.com
