Buckeye Reporter

Vincent Hancock, a 35-year-old Olympic shotgunner, has won the Men’s Skeet Olympics gold medal, hitting 58 out of 60 clay targets. He narrowly defeated his teammate and student, Connor Prince, by one shot. This victory marks Hancock's fourth Olympic gold medal in skeet shooting, having previously secured wins in 2008, 2012, and 2021. Hancock is the only skeet shooter to achieve this feat multiple times.

Despite this achievement, Meta platforms such as Facebook and Instagram have restricted Hancock's accounts. This action follows similar treatment of McKenna Geer, a Paralympic shooter whose social media presence was also limited by Meta.

Geer expressed her concerns on Instagram after her account was blocked: “I have always feared the day the media would censor my sport and speech just because I use firearms,” she wrote. She emphasized that athletes like her rely on social media to promote their sport and firearm safety.

Meta's notification to Geer stated that her content would not appear in places like Explore or Search and suggested she edit or remove flagged posts. Geer mentioned that the option to appeal this decision was non-functional.

Tim Rupli highlighted Meta's actions in an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal, quoting USA Shooting CEO Kelly Reisdorf: “By silencing an athlete’s voice, you infringe not only on their freedom of expression but subtly on their right to bear arms as well.”

Hancock's recent win places him among elite U.S. Olympians who have won four gold medals in the same event. USA Shooting celebrated his achievement and noted it was the first time two U.S. athletes medaled in Men’s Skeet at an Olympic Games.

Major publications such as The Guardian, NPR, and ESPN covered Hancock's victory positively despite their anti-gun stances. However, Meta continued its restrictive measures against him similar to those imposed on Geer.

This incident is part of a broader pattern where big-tech companies have shown bias against lawful firearm usage. Social media giants have defunded YouTube channels and censored small businesses related to firearms.

NSSF argues that these platforms serve as modern public squares essential for reaching audiences and engaging in civic discourse—rights that are increasingly curtailed for those involved with firearms.

Olympic athletes like Hancock demonstrate safe firearm ownership and embody competitive spirit and American values. However, they face significant challenges when trying to share their achievements on social media platforms.

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