Missouri AG to Investigate Google, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram Over Suppression of Lawful Firearm-Related Content

Social media has become part of the daily routine for most everyone. But with so many online personalities trying to get your attention, it can become a war zone for politics, to which the firearm industry is no stranger.

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey is bringing the fight to some of the biggest and most popular social media platforms – those that have a demonstrated history of discriminating against the firearm and ammunition industry-related content.

It’s another example of a principled state attorney general taking a strong stand, not just for Second Amendment rights, but in this case, First Amendment rights as well. And it’s coming at exactly the right time.

Show Me State Showdown

AG Bailey announced in a press release that he is issuing a Civil Investigative Demand to Google, Google-owned YouTube, and the Meta platforms Facebook and Instagram to determine whether the companies have engaged in unlawful business practices, “by suppressing lawful speech and commerce related to firearms and ammunition on its platforms.” The goal of the investigation, according to the AG’s office, is to “expose any corporate misconduct and restore transparency and fairness to online platforms.”

In Missouri, the CID is authorized under a state law that prohibits companies from misleading consumers about their products or services and AG Bailey believes that the social media and tech behemoths possess information, documentary material, and possibly physical evidence relevant to the investigation.

AG Bailey didn’t mince words in his announcement.

“The right to ‘keep and bear arms’ is one of the most sacred and cherished rights guaranteed to the citizens of the State of Missouri under the Constitution of the United States,” he stated. “Not only is that guaranteed to the citizens of Missouri, but it’s also guaranteed to all citizens of the United States. The ability of each citizen to provide for their own well-being and the protection of their families is the meaning of liberty. If that right is taken away, that would be a violation of basic human rights.”

AG Bailey added, “When Big Tech companies hold the power to control what Americans see, say, and believe, they hold the power to reshape the nation. We will not allow Silicon Valley to rewrite the Bill of Rights from behind a firewall.”

A Problematic Track Record

AG Bailey has been the Show Me State’s top cop since 2023 and has wasted little time jumping into fights to protect the constitutional rights of Missourians. He was on the stage at NSSF’s 2nd Annual State Attorneys General Forum at SHOT Show in Las Vegas in January and described his approach to protecting rights, including taking an originalist view of the Constitution that’s shared by U.S. Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas and others when protecting and preserving the Second Amendment rights of Missourians. It offered a harbinger for the battles AG Bailey would take up, including going against the social media giants.

There’s good reason for it too.

As NSSF has covered before, Big Tech has expanded its control in recent years over public discourse with platforms like YouTube and Meta (the parent company of Facebook and Instagram) imposing draconian restrictions on firearm-related content. This isn’t just about policy – it’s a blatant affront to First and Second Amendment rights. One pertinent and glaring example was McKenna Geer, a Paralympic shooter poised to represent Team USA in Paris.

Geer’s story is an inspirational one. She was born with congenital amyoplasia arthrogryposis and has overcome enormous obstacles to compete at the highest levels in shooting sports. However, last summer at the height of excitement surrounding the Paralympic Games, instead of celebrating these triumphs, Meta chose to shadow-ban her for simply sharing sports-related content. Geer posted a photo on Instagram of the air rifle she uses to qualify for the Paralympic Games – Meta flagged the photo as violating their guidelines, placing her on a censorship list.

Geer isn’t alone in facing such censorship. Recently, Meta has also taken similar actions against other athletes, such as Team USA shotgun athlete Conner Prince. The Facebook page of the West Point Rifle Team at the U.S. Military Academy was “unpublished” by Meta, which stated that the page “goes against our Community Standards.” They even shut down Vicent Hancock, a four-time Olympic skeet gold medal champion after he broke 58 of 60 clays to clinch his most recent title.

Google and YouTube are in this boat as well. Popular YouTuber Hickok45 manages a channel that provides informative, safety-oriented content on firearms. Notwithstanding his popularity, Hickok45 has suffered under repeated censorship by YouTube.

In 2016 and 2018, the channel was suspended on the grounds of violations against firearm content policies. These policies expressly prohibit content for the sale of firearms and accessories, instructions on manufacturing firearms and ammunition or installing firearm accessories. Yet, they were stretched to the point of absurdity in order to deplatform this channel.

AG Bailey is, no doubt, well aware of these tech giant’s track record and sees the opportunity to push for results that protect Missourians’ rights.

Keeping a Watchful Eye

It became clear that the federal government, under guidance from the administration of former President Joe Biden, worked hand-in-glove with several social media companies and tech giants – including Meta and Google-owned companies – to censor content. AG Bailey’s CID will help expose this collusion and pressure social media platforms to stop censoring Second Amendment-related speech.

“Why are we paying for the government to deprive us of our rights? The government is supposed to protect our rights,” said AG Bailey.

Under his leadership as the state’s top law enforcement officer, Missouri is moving forward with making sure their citizens keep the rights to which they are entitled. AG Bailey is fighting hard to protect Missourians’ freedoms. NSSF knows from his track record that he won’t let the government step in to regulate those rights away.

As more states realize these companies are trying to censor the free speech of Americans, NSSF hopes this investigation will spread to other states with additional pro-Second Amendment, pro-Constitution attorneys general making the same case. As AG Bailey’s Missouri CID concludes, “The investigation will examine whether Google and Meta have used deception, fraud, false promises, misrepresentation, or other unfair practices, such as demonetizing, delisting, or downranking content, to suppress speech related to the legal acquisition, ownership, and use of firearms.”

NSSF will be watching and looks forward to reading the findings once AG Bailey finishes his investigation.

 

Larry Keane is SVP for Government and Public Affairs, Assistant Secretary and General Counsel of the National Shooting Sports Foundation.