MENLO PARK, Calif. (NewsNation Now) — Instagram has banned Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for repeatedly sharing misinformation about COVID-19 and vaccine safety in violation of its policies on the pandemic.
“We removed this account for repeatedly sharing debunked claims about the coronavirus or vaccines,” confirmed a Facebook spokesperson to NewsNation.
Kennedy Jr., the nephew of President John F. Kennedy and son of Senator Robert F. Kennedy, is a lawyer and environmentalist with a substantial following on social media.
In a late January post, he described COVID vaccines that are currently being administered in the U.S. as posing a potential danger, despite studies on tens of thousands of people that found no serious side effects.
Kennedy Jr., his representatives and the organization founded by him, The Children’s Health Defense, which focuses on vaccines, did not immediately respond to messages for comment.
Facebook had earlier this week said it would expand a list of false health claims it bans from the platform to include debunked claims about vaccines, including claims that the shots are ineffective, toxic, dangerous or cause autism. Repeated scientific studies in the U.S. and abroad have found no evidence linking vaccines to the developmental disorder.
Countries around the world are ramping up efforts to inoculate citizens with versions of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Facebook also announced it would include ads that discourage vaccinations in the ban — with an exception carved out for ads about government vaccine policies. Unpaid posts by people or groups that discourage vaccinations will still be allowed.
Last year, it said it would begin hiding groups and pages that spread misinformation about vaccinations from the search function of its site.