Salesforce is on a mission, and on a roll. The company occupies the tallest skyscraper in San Francisco, is working to end homelessness in the city, and now multi-billion dollar software company is refusing to provide its product to companies who sell high-powered assault weapons.
Righteousness is in. And what the federal government refuses to do, or is incapable of doing, corporate America is increasingly willing to take on.
Weapons of War No More
According to The Washington Post, Salesforce’s new policy bars customers that sell a range of firearms — including automatic and semiautomatic — from using its e-commerce technology. The policy also precludes customers from selling some firearm parts, such as “magazines capable of accepting more than 10 rounds” and “multi-burst trigger devices.”
The change affects a small number of existing customers when their current contracts expire, as well as all new customers, Salesforce spokeswoman Gina Sheibley said.
Camping World, for one, appears to be in the crosshairs. The retailer spends more than $1 million a year on Salesforce’s e-commerce software. Switching to another provider now will cost the company time and money to migrate data, reconfigure systems and retrain employees.
Shopify Disarms Too
Salesforce isn’t the only provider of e-commerce software to take a stand on gun sales. Shopify, which powers over 800,000 online shopping sites, also amended its acceptable-use policy last year to bar customers from using its technology to sell weapons such as automatic and semiautomatic firearms.
ICYMI, Levi’s And Guns Don’t Mix
Levi’s has been doing business in San Francisco since 1853. The denim company is part of the fabric of American culture.
Last year, Levi Strauss & Co. pledged more than $1 million to support nonprofits and youth activists working to end gun violence. Now, the company is stepping up their support for sensible gun legislation.
“The gun violence epidemic in America has hit a point where something has to be done,” chief executive Chip Bergh said. “It’s inevitable that we’re going to alienate some consumers, but we can no longer sit on the sidelines and remain silent on this issue.”
Levi’s is one of the country’s most iconic and beloved brands. I guess firearms advocates will need to wear Wranglers or Lee from here on.
Safety In Numbers
For what it’s worth, a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll indicates that 69 percent of Americans—including 85 percent of Democrats and 57 percent of Republicans—want strong or moderate restrictions placed on firearms.
