Anti-vaxxer Robert F Kennedy Jr, 67, is BANNED from Instagram for ‘repeatedly sharing false claims about COVID-19’
INSTAGRAM has banned anti-vaxxer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for repeatedly sharing false claims about the coronavirus jab.
The photo-sharing platform said Kennedy's repeated sharing of debunked claims about the vaccine was in violation of its policies on the pandemic.
Kennedy, a lawyer and environmentalist, is the son of the late former US Senator, US Attorney General and presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy.
He has worked for decades as a lawyer, but he is now well known for his anti-vaccine crusade.
An Instagram spokeswoman said it has permanently removed Kennedy from the platform for sharing false information about the Covid-19 jab.
"We removed this account for repeatedly sharing debunked claims about the coronavirus or vaccines," a spokesman said, according to the .
The nephew of assassinated US president John F. Kennedy has repeatedly shared a false claim that the recent death of baseball legend Hank Aaron was linked to the coronavirus vaccine.
He had 800,000 followers on Instagram, the reports.
Kennedy has insisted he is not opposed to vaccines as long as they are safe.
But he often shares false claims linked vaccines and autism.
He has remained active on Facebook, where he has previously posted misinformation about the flu vaccine.
"We don't automatically disable accounts across our apps, because the accounts may post about different things on our different services," an Facebook spokesperson told AFP.
Facebook said it also removed several other accounts from its platforms for spreading false claims about vaccines.
Earlier this week, the company said it would expand a list of false health claims it bans from the platform to include debunked claims about vaccines, such as they are toxic or cause autism.
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Kennedy's account remains active with 214,000 followers, where he also frequently criticizes vaccines, including the HPV jab.
He frequently gets himself involved in controversial issues and personalities.
The lawyer spoke at a demonstration of coronavirus deniers in Berlin last summer, organized by the far right.
