On August 18,, Facebook and Instagram removed the accounts for the Children’s Health Defense, based on repeated violations of the parent company, Meta, policies on medical information. The group is led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. since 2018. “Removing CHD accounts is evidence of a clearly orchestrated attempt to stop the impact we have during a time of heightened criticism of our public health institutions,” the group said.
Kennedy said, “Facebook is acting here as a surrogate for the Federal government’s crusade to silence all criticism of draconian government policies.”
Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, said it removed the main accounts of Children’s Health Defense because the group had “repeatedly” violated the company’s policies on medical misinformation during the coronavirus pandemic. Children’s Health Defense said that in total, it had more than half a million followers on its main Facebook and Instagram pages.
RFK Jr.’s personal Facebook page is still up; his Instagram account was cancelled in 2018.
“Meta has removed COVID-19 misinformation on an unprecedented scale. Globally, more than 25 million pieces of content have been removed since the start of the pandemic. Under this policy, Meta began removing false claims about masking, social distancing and the transmissibility of the virus. In late 2020, when the first vaccine became available, we also began removing further false claims, such as the vaccine being harmful or ineffective. Meta’s policy currently provides for removal of 80 distinct false claims about COVID-19 and vaccines,” wrote By Nick Clegg, President, Global Affairs, Meta.
