Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the American Values 2024 super PAC are suing Meta for blocking a campaign ad on Instagram and Facebook. The ad, titled “Who is Bobby Kennedy” and narrated by Woody Harrelson, was briefly removed last week. Kennedy Jr. has accused Meta of violating his and users’ First Amendment rights, alleging their Covid-19 misinformation policies are the result of government coercion. The lawsuit also claims Meta violated a civil rights law by suspending accounts that shared the video.
Meta stated that the ad was mistakenly blocked and was quickly restored once the issue was discovered. While Meta’s Covid-19 content moderation rules are no longer in effect in the U.S. due to the pandemic emergency expiring, Kennedy Jr. is still pursuing damages and an injunction to prevent future content blocks in support of his candidacy. This is not the first time Kennedy Jr. has sued a tech company over free speech claims, as he previously filed a similar lawsuit against Google, which was denied by a judge due to the private company’s status.
Despite these legal challenges, Kennedy Jr.’s independent presidential candidacy has garnered some support. According to a New York Times/Siena poll, 10% of voters in key battleground states would vote for him if the election were held today, with varying support from Democrats and Republicans. Kennedy Jr. has faced controversy as a Covid-19 vaccine skeptic, which led to his ban from Instagram for nearly two years. However, the ban was lifted after he launched his presidential bid, where he mentioned his concerns about the rushed Covid-19 vaccine and lockdown measures in his campaign video.
Kennedy Jr.’s lawsuit against Meta highlights the ongoing debate over free speech on social media platforms, particularly when it comes to political content. While tech companies have faced pressure to combat misinformation during the pandemic, critics argue that such policies can limit political speech. Despite the challenges of suing a private company on free speech grounds, Kennedy Jr. and the super PAC supporting his candidacy are seeking damages and an injunction to ensure their content is not blocked in the future. The outcome of this lawsuit could have implications for how social media platforms handle political content in the future.
