Instagram bans Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for sharing debunked COVID-19 vaccine claims

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. no longer has an Instagram account, with a spokesperson announcing that he was banned from the platform "for repeatedly sharing debunked claims about the coronavirus or vaccines."

Kennedy, the son of the late senator and attorney general Robert F. Kennedy, is an environmental activist who has been sharing anti-vaccine conspiracy theories before and throughout the coronavirus pandemic. He has helped spread the false claims that vaccines can cause autism and asked Congress to give parents exemptions from state vaccine requirements.

In a statement, Kennedy said he was the victim of "censorship," and denied that he was sharing conspiracy theories. He still has an active Facebook page with more than 300,000 followers.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up