Facebook and Instagram Ban Major US Anti-Vaccine Group

Facts

• On Thurs., Facebook owner Meta announced that it had removed the nonprofit Children's Health Defense (CHD) from the platform for allegedly spreading COVID misinformation.
• In addition to CHD's Facebook page being unpublished, their Instagram account - also owned by Meta - was taken down. A Meta spokesperson said the organization has repeatedly violated the platform's policies specific to COVID and vaccines.
• CHD, founded by Robert Kennedy Jr. that's most well known for its anti-vaccine movement, has been critical of COVID vaccines. In response to the bans, it accused the tech giant of infringing on its right to free speech.
• In 2020 the nonprofit sued Meta - at the time known as Facebook - over allegations that the platform's fact-checking is biased. A judge ruled in favor of the social media platform, but CHD appealed the ruling.
• Kennedy's vaccine skepticism dates back to 2005 when he claimed that thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative that's used in some vaccines was linked to children with autism. This - along with many other claims - has been refuted by scientific organizations such as the CDC.
• In 2021, Kennedy's personal Instagram account was removed. His personal Facebook account, however, is still up.

Sources: New York Times, Townhall, CBS, and Business Insider.

Narratives

• Left narrative, as provided by Alternet. This case is simple: CHD has repeatedly violated Meta's policies and was therefore banned. While this is a step in the right direction, Kennedy's personal Facebook account is still active, giving him room to keep spreading dangerous health misinformation that has been debunked by reputable organizations.
• Right narrative, as provided by FOX News. This development highlights that Meta's policies seemingly only apply to those it doesn't agree with. The tech giant has been openly antagonistic to the ideas and opinions of the right and actively seeks to block any posts or pages that may offend the liberals. There's no consistency, which leaves conservatives to suffer the overreach of Meta's bots.