For those of you unfamiliar, Shopify is an online sales platform and many companies in the firearms business are built on it, using this licensed technology.
Earlier this week, Canada-based abandoned its pledge to remain apolitical and altered its Acceptable Use Policy to ban use of the software for the sale of firearms, accessories and ammunition. Unfortunately, for these Shopify customers, their very websites rely in this software. What’s more, Shopify hasn’t indicated how long those affected have to comply with the new policy before they “turn them off.”
I’d say it’s time for those affected to switch to an company which respects the rule of law and supports American businesses. As we learn more about this situation and identify platforms which support civil rights, we’ll update you.
The repercussions are wide spread. SSD Advertiser Franklin Armory sent us this press release:
Minden, NV, August 14, 2018– Reputable firearms manufacturer and industry innovator, Franklin Armory®, received word late Monday evening that their ecommerce provider, Shopify, will soon interrupt their lawful commerce of firearms and components due to a sudden change in Shopify’s “Acceptable Use Policy (AUP.)” The new AUP was presented without warning and included a new definition of “Restricted Items” to include flash suppressors, threaded barrels, pistol grips, and even magazines larger than 10 rounds. All of these items are legal to use in a majority of states across the country, yet Shopify is interfering with Franklin Armory®’s lawful interstate commerce.
Because of their lawful commerce in firearms, Franklin Armory® has previously been discriminated against by financial services companies such as Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Citigroup, First Data, Intuit, and Pay Pal. Social media companies such as Facebook, Google, Youtube, and Twitter have also operated under discriminatory policies to throttle down the reach of firearms manufacturers.
Counsel for Franklin Armory®, Jason Davis, stated, “The firearms industry is under an unprecedented attack from the leading facilitators of interstate commerce that deny legitimate firearm businesses access to important structural supports of modern business.”
Jay Jacobson, President of Franklin Armory®, went on to say, “History is replete with examples of discriminatory practices employed against various societal segments. In almost every case, our nation has legislated equal protection for those segments to prevent unfair practices and discrimination. If Congress does not act soon to provide equal protection to all businesses, it is not too much of a leap to see how only approved businesses or people will be able to buy or sell in future financial markets.”
If you would like more information about this topic, please see our website at www.franklinarmory.com.
“This is definitely an attack on our rights and our businesses,” states Nick Hoffman of Tactical Development Group. “For years we’ve fought a losing battle where technology and service providers have created or caved to anti-2A policies. We see it in payment providers and gateways, software licenses, and so-called ‘acceptable use policies’ across the technology space needed to do business online. There is hope, however. We’ve found and use several providers willing to pledge their support to our industry and provide the services we need to create successful online businesses, despite the rhetoric of their peers.”
Where Hoffman used to recommend Shopify and their ‘apolitical AUP’, he now recommends a different solution. “Building our businesses on someone else’s platform leaves us vulnerable – we have too many eggs in one basket and a strategic policy change from a vendor can blindside and cripple us. It’s incumbent of us to be aware of this as we build brands across social media and services where the deck is stacked against us – they don’t want our money or liability. Case in point: pro-2A brands like Black Rifle Coffee Co., Grunt Style, and many others, companies that were also blindsided, operate on and represent substantial revenue to Shopify. Whether Shopify considered the unintended consequences of losing business from brands outside the direct sale of firearms related products or not, it’s going to happen. Diversity in our approach to marketing, building, and facilitating our 2A brands is key to our success in combatting sweeping policy changes like this.”
Tags: Shopify
We are leaving shopify as soon as we can find a better pro-2a eCommerce place. Any suggestions?
-vdevgru.com
What happened to the idea of having an own website that you can fully control?
A lot of small businesses fell for the “better rent than own” paradigm because it seems cheaper, but never really considered a fact that software development companies (including web service developers) have a very “original” view on customer service that could be described as “we know better what’s good for you and for everybody”. Have anyone noticed, for example, how even paid apps could be changed by a developer without any notice, losing features you like or turning into a cluttered bullshit? Just look at Skype or Windows, for example. Once you rely on a third-party service completely, your business is already a hostage of someone else’s business. It is pretty much like living in a neighborhood with a crazy homeowners association – you never know what kind of bullshit some old ladies will come up with next week. So, having your own website (maybe – in addition to multiple storefronts on popular online shopping platforms, not strictly instead of it) is simply a question of business security.
It isnt necessarily the web site, just the ecommerce part. I administer an ecommerce website, and it is a bitch, dealing with DNS, email encryption, SSL keys, GDPR, firewalls, OS security updates, comm with the payment provider, and so so much more. Just getting the site to work with TLS1.2 required recompilation of EVERYTHING, custom code, weeks of debugging and testing
I know perfectly that it seems like a pain in the ass and it is often a pain in the ass. But that’s the price for being independent of some Marxists in California (gun-related channels on YouTube were a good sign of that bullshit coming too), for example. Or from IT slaves from India who get paid per line of code.
Check out BigCommerce, based in Texas. I use them for my store.
Look into opensource systems – wordpress with Woocommerce, Prestashop, Opencart, or even Magento Community. Plenty of support to find and they have been around for a while.
Cody Wilson had his site pulled last week. SSD, do you know of any pro 2A banks and payment providers? It’s getting pretty clear to me that the right-wing is going to have to start developing its own platforms in light of the stuff that’s been happening the past couple of months. I’ll be looking to this blog to provide the info when alternate platforms are discovered and created.
Pro 2A does not mean right wing, and anti 2A does not mean left wing or liberal
Commies round up guns and so do democrats.
So did the Nazis in Germany and the Fascists in Italy – and every other Left, Right, Centrist, Monarchist, Collectivist, dictatorship ever….
You’re talking about Tyrants. The best thing to do is abandon the traditional political spectrum model and put totalitarianism on one end and anarchy on the other.
Shopify is a publicly list company on the NYSE as “SHOP”.
Their investor relations number is 1-888-746-7439 x 302.
Counter fire time.
Highly recommend BigCommerce as an alternative for anyone looking. Based in Texas and a better platform anyways. Surprising to me that so many of them chose a Canadian company in the first place!
Hey guys, we support firearm and ammo sales on BigCommerce. Check us out if you need a new ecommerce solution @ BigCommerce.com
Thanks for pointing that out. Didn’t realize you were all friendly. Looks like US Patriot Tactical is featured on your homepage. Cool!
Any idea which one of your Point of Sale integration’s is also gun friendly? We need a solution for our gun club to switch over (web+pos).
Thanks in advance!
Thumbs up for Big Commerce. Nothing but good things to say. I’ve actually talked gun parts with one of the customer service reps over the phone while they walked me through a site fix.
I’ve had my insurance dropped twice in the past because of carrying firearm parts. Ended up going to the NRA business alliance for my insurance and CC processing.
Many of the gun guys getting booted off of youtube time after time
Paypal anti-gun
Banks/credit cards
Who knows how much more?
Eventually, us freedom loving Americans are going to have to have our own infrastructure for media, transactions etc. Gun shop owners and the like are leaving their fate in the hands of these wild leftists by relying on their platforms for their business.
We rode on the youtube/google etc. train for so long, but now some folks are at their mercy.
It’s pretty clear that being denied the ability to enact gun control through the Democratic process and through the legal system via lawsuits, the new line of attack is to de-platform and de-bank the industry. There needs to be a new lawful commerce in firearms 2.0.
Roll Call: Who’s on Shopify now and initiating dumping them?
I’m looking into it but son of a gun I just got my site setup the way I want and I’m ranking well on google. I’m a one man show and I don’t know if I have the resources to tackle this right now!
Blade-Tech has their e-commerce through them (though I trust that will change soon), and I’ve dreaded needing to double-check a part # since they changed about a year ago. Worst. Website. Ever.
Nothing like being discriminated against for selling legal items who’s ownership is protected by the Constitution. Where is the ACLU on this one.
“Canada-based”. This says it all.
I was referring, in general, to similar companies and financial corporations who operate within the US.
We haven’t been notified or shut down, but we are being proactive and are going to move off Shopify. Part of that process is exporting all our Shopify data, which Shopify makes relatively easy except for product images. I wrote a quick program that will download ALL the product images from a Shopify products_export.csv file, and I’m posting here to offer to share the program. Anyone interested please call our store at 870-453-8797 and ask for Ron. If I’m not available, please leave a message with whomever answers, be sure to tell them why you’re calling. I’ll get back to you quickly as it could be time critical given that Shopify appears to be culling vendors without notice.
TL;DR I have a program that will pull all your product images off Shopify in an organized manner, contact me if you need it.
Just thought I would mention: Gun Rodeo is an e-commerce and website platform built specifically for the gun industry. And we offer the same services as Shopify. Check us out!
http://www.gunrodeo.com/hosting