No matter where you stand on the Second Amendment, making it easier for anyone to acquire illegal firearms is not what the founding fathers of this country had in mind. Today's technology makes it possible for criminals and others to circumvent the laws that are in place to keep these individuals from purchasing firearms. The more outlets there are, the more opportunities they have to finding what they are looking for. In a move that will likely get them praise and condemnation, Facebook (News - Alert) and Instagram have decided to delete posts selling illegal guns.

In light of recent mass shootings as well as many gun related violence around the country, gun control advocates have been pressuring Facebook and others to ban this activity on their sites.

The ban will be targeting ads that offer weapons for sale without requiring background checks as is the law in many states. The company announced the change in policy last Wednesday and said it is going to be implemented in the coming weeks.

The problem in implementing a blanket ban nationwide is, each state has its own laws when it comes to guns. While the AR15 is illegal in the state of New York, it is perfectly legal in Texas and unless an organization implements a total ban, people selling and looking to buy guns will use social media and other sites to do so.

The push to ban illegal gun sales on these sites was a collaborative effort between New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, Mayors Against Illegal Guns and Moms Demand Action, which gathered more than 230,000 signatures demanding Facebook take the right course of action. In addition to the firearms, Facebook will also be issuing notices to individuals selling regulated goods to ensure they are following the laws in their respective states.

"We will remove reported posts that explicitly indicate a specific attempt to evade or help others evade the law. For example, we will remove reported posts where the potential buyer or seller indicates they will not conduct a background check or are willing to sell across state lines without a licensed firearms dealer," the company said in a statement.

Just as the Internet has improved the ways we do everything, gun dealers have also used the technology to make their wares more readily available to their customers. A dealer doesn't have to say they are selling their gun on Facebook, but instead using it as a virtual gun show. The transaction could be conducted offline, thus avoiding any illegal activity online. The best option would be to eliminate the activity all together like Google (News - Alert) Plus and Craigslist, which prohibit all gun sales.

"Responsible social media sites know that it is in no one's interest for their sites to become the 21st-century black market in dangerous and illegal goods that place our families and communities at risk. I congratulate Facebook and Instagram for taking these simple, common sense steps to protect the safety and security of their users, and encourage other social media sites to follow their lead," said New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.