Instagram 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.
Dates: Instagram ban February 11, 2021; Facebook removal later in 2021; presidential campaign launched April 2023. Parties: Robert F. Kennedy Jr.; Children's Health Defense; Instagram (Meta). What happened: Meta permanently banned Kennedy's Instagram account, citing repeated COVID-19/vaccine misinformation including posts linking 5G to COVID-19 and claims about vaccine-linked deaths. Meta's stated reasons: Repeated violations of COVID-19 and vaccine misinformation policies expanded in early 2021. Kennedy's response: Characterized the ban as suppression of legitimate scientific debate; alleged ideological and pharmaceutical-industry motivations. Outcome: Account not reinstated. Kennedy migrated to Twitter/X as his primary platform. Meta did not reinstate the accounts during his independent presidential campaign.