A new report suggests that Facebook is considering banning any gun-themed pages from its social network. “Talks are progressing,” one source told VentureBeat, explaining that Mayors Against Illegal Guns and Moms Demand Action have been pressuring Facebook to shut down pro-gun pages. “The discussions are ongoing; there have been positive developments.”

MAIG and MDA have both been pushing Facebook to “get out of the gun business.” Moms Demand Action has filed a petition on Change.org to force Facebook and Instagram to shut down pro-gun pages, and that petition has received support from comedian Sarah Silverman.

The petition reads as follows:

To:

Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook CEO

Kevin Systrom, Instagram CEO

Your platforms unfortunately allow users to buy, sell, and trade firearms without requiring criminal background checks. Other online platforms including Craigslist, eBay, and Google+ have already prohibited these sales.I ask that you put an end to this completely unregulated social media gun show and prohibit gun sales from your platforms immediately.

Sincerely,


[Your name]

Facebook has rightly denied that commercial transactions for guns are contemplated by the site.