Google May Soon Ban Ads for Toy Guns for Being Too Dangerous

Here’s a breathless
headline from Breitbart: Google to Block Firearm,
Ammunition, Gun Accessory Ads. Regarding a recently proposed
company policy change, the site suggested on Friday that “beginning
in September” the Internet giant will make these changes. Sort of.
The report overlooks some important details, and perhaps the
silliest aspect of the new policy: It would target toy guns.

First, as pro-gun blog The Truth About Guns
points out, “they’re proposed plans.” That’s
it. Nothing set in stone yet. And, “the policy only affects Google
AdWords.” Although the advertising service is large – it draws in
billions of dollars and is the company’s main source of revenue –
it simply amounts to the sponsored links at the top of the page.
You will still be able to search “firearms” and find links to sites
for businesses that are advertising and selling these beautiful,
Second Amendment-fulfilling tools.

Furthermore, Google AdWords
already blocks ads for guns, gun parts and hardware, and
ammunition. They’ve done so for a few years. So, the
Breitbart report tells us nothing new.

The great silliness that was overlooked is that Google’s
proposed change would broaden its ban to include
any

functional devices that appear to discharge a
projectile at high velocity, whether for sport, self-defense, or
combat (Note that we err on the side of caution and apply this
policy to sporting or recreational guns that can cause serious harm
if misused, or that appear to be real guns.)

Examples: Handguns, rifles, shotguns, hunting
guns, functioning antique guns, airsoft guns, paintball
guns, bb guns. (emphasis added in bold)

That’s right. In an effort to “help keep people safe both online
and offline,” the world’s largest search engine wants to shield
your eyes from seeing online billboards for things “that cause
damage, harm, or injury” or even just look like they might
pop out a plastic pellet. The number of serious injuries that faux
guns inflict seems to be so low
that they’re more a testament to human stupidity than product
unsafety. The only airsoft-related death in recent memory happened
last year, when cops filled a 13-year-old California boy with
seven
real bullets because they mistook his airsoft weapon for a real
one.

Of course, Google is a private company and it can institute
whatever absurd policies it wants to alienate millions of American
gun enthusiasts and protect everyone else from seeing fake firearms
for sale. However, users can hit (or, dare I say, discharge a
digital projectile at) Google’s moneymaker by installing AdBlocker
to their browser so they don’t have to see any AdWord
advertisements.