Facebook prohibits certain things to be sold on its flagship social network like marijuana, illegal drugs and pharmaceuticals and now will do the same with sale of guns. The update in Facebook's policy gives one more thrust to curbing transaction of unlicensed guns. The same thing will also be applicable for its Instagram photo-sharing service.

Though Facebook will still allow the licensed gun dealers and gun clubs to maintain their Facebook pages and post on Instagram but the ban is applicable for private or direct person to person gun transactions. Not that Facebook was ever straightaway involved anyway in gun sales but served as a forum for the transactions which allowed the deals without a background check.

One of the world's largest social networks with 1.6 billion visitors in a month, it became a leading marketplace for guns, further evolving as an e-commerce site that facilitated sale of goods.

Unlicensed gun transactions took the centre stage of discussions following mass shootings in San Bernardino, California last year and also in one community college in Oregon.

President Obama promised in January to tighten unlicensed gun sales laws during one of his speeches. According to Facebook it will rely majorly on its massive user base to report any violations related to the new rule.