Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Banned From Instagram for Covid Misinformation, Anti-Vaccine Claims

[DonViejo]

Source: Mediaite


By Ken MeyerFeb 11th, 2021, 8:43 am

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been permanently banned from Instagram for his anti-vaccine activism and his promotion of false information on the coronavirus pandemic.

Kennedy, the son of former senator and Attorney General Robert Kennedy, is a Democrat known for his previous work as a lawyer to advance environmental causes. He is also a prominent anti-vax proponent who regularly shared Covid misinformation with his 800,000 social media followers.

“We removed this account for repeatedly sharing debunked claims about the coronavirus or vaccines,” said a spokesman for Facebook, Instagram’s parent company. The spokesman said there aren’t any plans to scrub Kennedy’s Facebook page yet, where he has 300,000 followers.

While Kennedy claims not to be against vaccines that are proven safe, New York Times notes that he has connected vaccines to autism in the past, plus he claimed that being inoculated against the coronavirus is more dangerous than contracting the disease itself. On top of that, Kennedy founded the Children’s Health Defense, a nonprofit organization that has also fueled anti-vaxxer positions on social media.

Read more: https://www.mediaite.com/news/robert-f-kennedy-jr-banned-from-instagram-for-covid-misinformation-anti-vaccine-claims/

[Miguelito Loveless]

1. Finally.

Of course years after it is way too late and massive damage and death has been done.

[Tom Rinaldo]

2. Very Sad. Not only did I revere his father, but I once greatly respected RFK Jr also

His environmental work was excellent. He was a strong voice against unverifiable electronic voting machine vote tabulations also. I fully agree with Instagram's decision, and it pains me to have to say that.

[marble falls]

5. Very sad.

[lagomorph777]

8. Same here. WTF happened to him? Dementia?

[NYC Liberal]

13. AFAIK he's always been anti-vax. Or has been for a very long time.

[Jose Garcia]

19. Horoin

He was arrested for possession after he overdosed in the 1980's. He allegedly went into rehab, but his bizarre obsession with vaccines leads me to believe that is either still using or suffered brain damage from substance abuse.

[cp]

18. Used to respect him, too

Still wonder what the hell happened to him. It is sad.

[barbtries]

24. it is sad.

i wonder how prevalent his wrong-headed thinking is in his family.

[AZ8theist]

3. He's long been an anti-vax extremist..

His "evidence" has been debunked over and over.
While I agree, a LOT OF HIS work is good, his stance on vaccines is objectionable.

[bucolic_frolic]

4. My speculation surrounds

vaccines from decades ago that contained mercury-based preservatives. These were fazed out by about 2008. I wonder if that was the original basis for his aversion to vaccinations. I had a doctor who went down the same route, partly from mercury and partly from concerns about weakened immunity. It was sort of a herd immunity claim, that kids need to contract communicable diseases to make strong immunity. I'm not advocating that here, just speculating the origins of these anti-vax beliefs.

[mopinko]

11. i've heard him say as much.

and i agree w you. the docs that delivered 3 of my kids did the same.

eta, they were already bent that way. these were home births in the late 80's.

[bucolic_frolic]

15. It's true that doctors have their orientations

There are patients who are mercury sensitive, or mercury toxic, a following of millions worldwide. And I seem to recall reading in very alt health publications in the 1990s that these no-vax doctors were making the argument, look, if you vaccinate everyone, a very few will suffer adverse consequences or perhaps die from the vaccine (as they do from flu vaccines), and if you don't vaccinate a few more will die from the disease itself. Whether it was a cost-benefit public policy position, I still can't tell.

[Paladin]

6. Good. He's a disgrace. (nt)

[NurseJackie]

7. Good! He's nuttier than squirrel-turds.

[brooklynite]

9. If his last name wasn't Kennedy, would anyone care what he has to say?

[0nirevets]

10. Dude just has to get his head screwed on right. Squandering historic status over nonsense.

[Jetheels]

12. Good they banned him I hope for permanent.

I was disgusted when Alec Baldwin gave him an hour podcast interview to spout that anti vaccine bs.

[VA_Jill]

14. What is wrong with that guy?

He's been off the rails for some time, but he's not only off the rails now, he's tumbled clean down a 30-foot embankment.

[NNadir]

16. Good. His ignorance kills people. This goes as well for his pseudo-environmental rhetoric as well.

[Music Man]

17. Good. He breaks my heart.

Years ago, I looked up to him, given his environmental concerns. Then I started to learn about his anti-vaccine kookery.

His is a sad legacy for the Kennedy name.

[Dopers_Greed]

20. This guy is a huge asshole

Of course, the M$M is making it very clear that he's a "democrat".

[Lucky Luciano]

21. Good. Fucking moron.

[IronLionZion]

22. He's so disappointing on the vaccine issue

but was actually quite good on lots of other liberal causes.

[snacker]

23. That's a good thing

What a disappointment he is...

[Dorian Gray]

25. Good

Misinformation battling is more important now than ever.

[Initech]

26. Good. Anti-vaxxers are a public health danger.

And they should be treated as such. Really, fuck anti-vaxxers.

[Lunabell]

27. Wow.

He really fell down that rabbit hole. I thought a prominent Kennedy would be a rational thinker.