On the recordSeptember 13, 2023
Madam President, I rise today to address a continuing concern: the online sale of firearms using deceptive and misleading means. It simply continues to be too easy for individuals to evade existing restrictions and buy firearms through online platforms. This behavior endangers us all. Companies like Facebook have taken important steps by banning the sale of firearms on their websites. However, despite these efforts, the online sale of firearms continues to persist as a significant problem. Disturbingly, between April and June 2020 alone, Facebook had to remove a staggering 1.3 million pieces of content related to firearms from its platform. One of the primary challenges we face is that sellers are employing new tactics to circumvent online sales restrictions for firearms. They resort to posting listings for firearms under deceptive names such as ``stickers'' to evade detection. I am proud to once again introduce legislation that addresses this issue head-on. My Stopping the Fraudulent Sales of Firearms Act aims to establish a Federal crime for the sale of firearms online through fraudulent representations. Specifically, it targets the deceptive marketing of firearms as seemingly innocuous items like ``stickers.'' These practices undermine the safety and security of our communities and must be met with swift and robust consequences. I thank my colleagues Senators Booker, Blumenthal, and Menendez for joining me in this effort.…





