Which regulatory agencies enforce this type of clause?

{'agency': 'FTC', 'reason': "Merchants who believe Shopify's enforcement of firearms restrictions is arbitrary or deceptive relative to stated policy can file an unfair practices complaint with the FTC.", 'complaint_url': 'https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/'}

What is the severity of this clause?

ConductAtlas classifies this Prohibition on Firearms and Weapons Accessories clause as high severity. Severity reflects the magnitude of rights affected, the breadth of users impacted, and the degree of discretion the platform retains.

Prohibition on Firearms and Weapons Accessories — Shopify

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What it is

You cannot sell guns, gun parts, ammunition, or certain gun-cleaning equipment on Shopify, even if selling them is legal where you live.

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

Merchants who are licensed firearms dealers or sell legal firearms accessories — including cleaning kits and storage products — may find their Shopify store suspended even if their business is fully compliant with federal and state firearms laws.

Cross-platform context

See how other platforms handle Prohibition on Firearms and Weapons Accessories and similar clauses.

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Why it matters (compliance & risk perspective)

This provision restricts a broad range of federally legal firearms-adjacent products, meaning licensed firearms dealers and accessories sellers cannot use Shopify's platform regardless of their compliance with ATF regulations.

View original clause language

The following activities are prohibited: Selling firearms, firearm parts or hardware, and ammunition; including but not limited to: ghost guns and ghost gun kits, automatic weapon conversion devices or switches, solvent trap kits when used or intended to be used to clean firearms, undetectable firearms, 3D printing files to produce firearms or firearm components.

Institutional analysis (Compliance & legal intelligence)

REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: This provision intersects with the Gun Control Act (18 U.S.C. § 922), the National Firearms Act (26 U.S.C. § 5801), ATF regulations (27 CFR Part 478), and ITAR (22 C.F.R. Parts 120–130) for certain weapons technology exports. By prohibiting products that are federally legal (e.g., solvent traps sold for legitimate cleaning purposes), Shopify is exercising platform editorial discretion beyond legal mandate. ATF and the State Department's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) are relevant federal regulators.

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Applicable agencies

FTC

Merchants who believe Shopify's enforcement of firearms restrictions is arbitrary or deceptive relative to stated policy can file an unfair practices complaint with the FTC.
File a complaint →

Provision details

Document information

Document

Shopify Acceptable Use Policy

Entity

Shopify

Document last updated

April 29, 2026

Tracking information

First tracked

April 27, 2026

Last verified

April 27, 2026

Record ID

CA-P-003397

Document ID

CA-D-00124

Evidence Provenance

Source URL

https://www.shopify.com/legal/aup

Wayback Machine

View archived versions →

SHA-256

6747aef27d272e564823f36257d53e0e81e491f02516c0ffd2b85660b34fcdae

Verified

✓ Snapshot stored ✓ Change verified

How to Cite

ConductAtlas Policy Archive
Entity: Shopify | Document: Shopify Acceptable Use Policy | Record: CA-P-003397
Captured: 2026-04-27 12:48:34 UTC | SHA-256: 6747aef27d272e56…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/shopify/shopify-acceptable-use-policy/prohibition-on-firearms-and-weapons-accessories/
Accessed: May 2, 2026

Classification

Severity

High

Prohibition on Firearms and Weapons Accessories