Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy leveled accusations of censorship against Big Tech, alleging that Facebook and Instagram blocked access to his latest political ad. The incident unfolded when a link to the new video was reportedly blocked on Sunday, May 5.
Meta, Facebook and Instagram’s parent company, said the action was a mistake. Meta said it quickly fixed the situation and noted that the link had been wrongly flagged as spam and was unblocked within hours.
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Kennedy’s campaign wasted no time publicizing the incident. His team posted a TikTok compilation showing other broken or blocked links. The video, a 30-minute ad narrated by actor Woody Harrelson, portrayed Kennedy as a champion of environmental causes and good governance.
Kennedy’s skepticism on vaccinations and allegations of government overreach, highlighted in the ad, gained traction during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, Meta took down his Instagram account for “repeatedly sharing debunked claims about the coronavirus and vaccines.” The account was reinstated after he became a presidential candidate.
However, the campaign’s focus on censorship is just one challenge it faces. Kennedy is currently battling for ballot access in all 50 states, employing strategies such as legal action, hiring consultants and mobilizing grassroots volunteers to gather signatures for petitions. Each state presents its own hurdles with varying rules for ballot inclusion.
Recent successes in Michigan and Hawaii show some progress, but Kennedy’s campaign has accused the Democratic Party of interference to keep him off of the ballot. The party denied the accusation.
Tags: Big Tech, Censorship, Democratic National Committee, Donald Trump, Election, Facebook, Instagram, Joe Biden, Republican National Committee, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Social Media
[ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR.]
“WHAT THE F**** IS WRONG WITH BOBBY KENNEDY?
“HE’S A WALKING TALKING CONSPIRACY THEORIST. THE NEW YORK TIMES.”
[KARAH RUCKER]
INDEPENDENT PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE ROBERT F. KENNEDY JUNIOR IS ACCUSING BIG TECH OF CENSORING HIS LATEST POLITICAL AD.
SAYING FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM BLOCKED A LINK TO THE NEW VIDEO SUNDAY.
PARENT COMPANY META CALLED IT A MISTAKE.
SAYING THE LINK WAS WRONGLY FLAGGED AS SPAM AND UNBLOCKED IT WITHIN HOURS.
BUT KENNEDY’S CAMPAIGN QUICKLY POUNCED.
POSTING A TIKTOK COMPILATION OF BROKEN OR BLOCKED LINKS.
THE 30-MINUTE AD, NARRATED BY WOODY HARRELSON PORTRAYS KENNEDY AS A CHAMPION FOR A CLEAN ENVIRONMENT AND GOOD GOVERNANCE.
[WOODY HARRELSON]
“I REALIZE YOU PROBABLY HEARD A LOT OF BAD STUFF ABOUT HIM IN THESE LAST FEW YEARS. BUT WHAT IF THE BAD STUFF YOU’VE HEARD WASN’T EVEN TRUE.”
[KARAH RUCKER]
THE ADD ALSO INTENDS TO HUMANIZE R-F-K JUNIOR.
[WOODY HARRELSON]
“HE’S A SURFER. HE’S A FALCONER. HE’S A ROCK CLIMBER. HE’S A RIVER RAFTER. HE’S A HUNTER. HE’S AN OUTDOORSMAN.”
[KARAH RUCKER]
KENNEDY’S SKEPTICISM ON VACCINATIONS AND ALLEGATIONS OF GOVERNMENT OVERREACH, HIGHLIGHTED IN THE AD, GAINED TRACTION DURING THE PANDEMIC.
BUT LED TO HIS ACCOUNT BEING REMOVED.
A SPOKESPERSON FOR FACEBOOK TOLD C-B-S NEWS IN A STATEMENT:
WE REMOVED THIS ACCOUNT FOR REPEATEDLY SHARING DEBUNKED CLAIMS ABOUT THE CORONAVIRUS OR VACCINES.
HIS SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNT WAS REINSTATED LAST YEAR AFTER HE BECAME A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE.
THE CAMPAIGN’S FACES FURTHER CHALLENGES.
KENNEDY IS BATTLING FOR BALLOT ACCESS IN ALL 50 STATES.
KENNEDY’S STRATEGY INCLUDES LEGAL ACTION, HIRING CONSULTANTS AND GRASSROOTS VOLUNTEERS TO GATHER SIGNATURES FOR PETITIONS.
EACH STATE PRESENTS DIFFERENT OBSTACLES, WITH VARIED RULES FOR GETTING ON THE BALLOT.
RECENT SUCCESSES IN MICHIGAN AND HAWAII SHOWS SOME PROGRESS.
BUT THE KENNEDY CAMPAIGN HAS ACCUSED THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF INTERFERENCE TO KEEP THEM OFF THE BALLOT.
ACCUSATIONS THE D-N-C DENIES.
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