Missouri – Andrew Bailey, the Attorney General of Missouri, is looking into some of the biggest tech companies in the world over allegations they might be stifling lawful discussions and commerce around firearms.
Bailey said on Friday that his agency had sent a Civil Investigative Demand (CID) to Google, Meta (the parent company of Facebook and Instagram), and YouTube, which Google owns and controls. This official request asks for documentation, procedures, and internal interactions that could show if these businesses have used unfair or deceptive methods that harm Missouri customers.
According to Bailey’s office, the investigation stems from growing concerns that firearm-related content — including posts about hunting, gun ownership, or the political debate surrounding the Second Amendment — has been deliberately downranked, demonetized, or hidden on popular online platforms. These companies could be misleading users about what their services really do by making it harder to find this kind of content. Missouri law says this is not allowed.
In a statement, Attorney General Bailey addressed how important the investigation is and how Big Tech’s power to control what Americans see online gives them a lot of power over public opinion.
“We will not allow Silicon Valley to rewrite the Bill of Rights from behind a firewall,” Bailey declared, underscoring his belief that censorship of lawful speech threatens individual freedoms.
The CID, which is based on Missouri’s consumer protection law, gives the Attorney General the power to ask for documents that might be related to infractions. Bailey’s office wants to look into whether Google and Meta have used misleading promises or other unfair means to stop people from talking about or buying lawful guns and ammo. If so, such practices could run afoul of Missouri’s laws designed to protect consumers from corporate misconduct.
The demand letter points to the constitutional significance of the right to bear arms, quoting directly from the CID:
“The right to keep and bear arms is the cornerstone of every other constitutional freedom,” said Attorney General Bailey. “If tech giants are colluding to silence lawful expression about firearms or shut down commerce protected under the Second Amendment, Missourians deserve to know.”
Bailey made it plain that his office will actively seek answers, saying that people in Missouri have a right to know if internet companies are putting ideological filters on their sites that could impede free expression on legal matters.
The Attorney General’s actions show that there are bigger problems in the country between states trying to protect rights provided by the Constitution and social media firms that have a lot of power over what information is released online. Bailey’s investigation is not only about finding out if anyone did anything unlawful, but also about showing that Missouri remains committed to defending its citizens’ rights in the digital age.
The full CID to Google can be read here.
The full CID to Meta can be read here.
 to Google, Meta (the parent company of Facebook and Instagram), and YouTube, which Google owns and controls){kind=link}