Instagram reinstates Robert F. Kennedy Jr. amid presidential bid launch
Technology
Kennedy was removed from the photo-sharing platform in 2021 for sharing debunked Covid claims
(Reuters) - Meta Platform's (META.O) Instagram on Sunday lifted its suspension against the account of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., nephew of the late president John F. Kennedy, The Washington Post reported.
Kennedy, who is making a long shot bid to challenge Biden for the Democratic nomination, was removed from the photo-sharing platform in 2021 for reportedly sharing debunked claims about COVID-19 in violation of its policies on the pandemic.
"As he is now an active candidate for president of the United States, we have restored access to Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.'s Instagram account," Meta spokesperson Andy Stone said in a statement, according to the newspaper.
On Thursday, Kennedy in a series of tweets said that Instagram had still not reinstated his account and that "to silence a major political candidate is profoundly undemocratic."
In 2019, Kennedy's relatives, including Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Joseph P. Kennedy II, and Maeve Kennedy McKean - wrote a Politico op-ed, criticizing his previous statements on vaccines as "misinformation."
In September 2021, Alphabet Inc's (GOOGL.O) YouTube also banned channels associated with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other prominent anti-vaccine activists Joseph Mercola.
Meta did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
