The complete record
15 incidents matching your filters.
March 2022
01January 2022
01December 2021
02Twitter permanently suspends Dr. Robert Malone over COVID-19 vaccine posts; reinstated under Musk in 2022
On December 29, 2021, Twitter permanently suspended Dr. Robert W. Malone, a physician and early mRNA researcher, citing its COVID-19 misleading-information policy. The suspension occurred the day before Malone's appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience (episode #1757). Malone said he had been suspended for raising what he characterized as legitimate scientific questions about pediatric vaccination. Malone's account was reinstated in December 2022 after Elon Musk ended Twitter's COVID misinformation policy.
Dr. Robert Malone permanently suspended from Twitter and LinkedIn
Virologist Robert Malone was permanently suspended from Twitter on December 29, 2021 and from LinkedIn earlier in 2021 for COVID-19 posts. His account was restored on X in 2022.
November 2021
01June 2021
01February 2021
03Instagram permanently bans Robert F. Kennedy Jr. account citing vaccine misinformation
On February 11, 2021, Instagram (Meta) permanently banned the account of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (@robertfkennedyjr), citing repeated sharing of debunked claims about COVID-19 and vaccines. Kennedy, an attorney and head of the nonprofit Children's Health Defense, described the action as suppression of scientific debate. His Facebook page was later removed. Meta declined to reinstate the accounts when Kennedy ran for U.S. president in 2023–2024. He remained off Instagram as of this writing.
Twitter permanently suspends Project Veritas and founder James O'Keefe; both restored after 2022 Musk acquisition
On February 11, 2021, Twitter permanently suspended the organizational account of Project Veritas, citing its private-information policy after the group published video filmed at the home of a Facebook executive. On April 15, 2021, Twitter separately suspended founder James O'Keefe's personal account, alleging he had 'operated fake accounts' — a claim O'Keefe denied and made the basis of a defamation lawsuit in New York state court. Both accounts were restored after Elon Musk's October 2022 Twitter acquisition.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. removed from Instagram over vaccine posts
Instagram permanently removed Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s personal account in February 2021 for repeated claims about vaccine safety. His Children's Health Defense organization was later removed from Facebook and Instagram in August 2022.
January 2021
02Amazon Web Services, Apple, and Google remove Parler in days following January 6 Capitol attack
Between January 8 and January 11, 2021, Google removed Parler from the Play Store, Apple removed it from the App Store, and Amazon Web Services terminated its hosting agreement, taking the platform offline. The companies cited inadequate moderation of content that encouraged or incited the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Parler CEO John Matze called it 'a coordinated attack by the tech giants to kill competition.' An antitrust lawsuit by Parler against Amazon was dismissed in 2021. Parler returned online February 15, 2021 on alternative infrastructure.
Major social media platforms suspend sitting U.S. President's accounts
Following the events of January 6, 2021, multiple major social media platforms suspended or restricted the accounts of then-President Donald Trump. Twitter permanently suspended his account, while Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and other platforms imposed suspensions or restrictions of varying lengths. Supporters of the actions argued the platforms were enforcing policies intended to prevent violence and maintain public safety. Critics argued the removals represented an unprecedented restriction of access to major digital communication platforms for a sitting elected official and raised concerns about the power of private technology companies over political speech and public discourse.