Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the American Values 2024 super PAC supporting him have filed a lawsuit against Facebook parent company Meta Platforms accusing the tech giant of interfering in the election after it blocked a political advertisement.
The lawsuit filed in federal court in San Francisco on Monday claims Meta censored a 30-minute video about Kennedy’s life by removing it and preventing users on its platforms from watching sharing or posting a link to it.
According to the lawsuit, Meta began censoring the May 3 video “within minutes” and despite a statement from the company on May 5 saying the video was no longer being censored the plaintiffs allege it is still being blocked for users. The lawsuit accuses Meta of deploying its “vast power of censorship account-suspension and deplatforming in order to favor or target the presidential candidate of their choice.”
Doesn’t matter what you think of Bobby Kennedy – he’s a proven winner and beast in the courtroom. The fact that he’s taking on @Meta given how deeply and firmly they’re entrenched in @POTUS White House cabinet – is admirable. #FreeSpeech #1A pic.twitter.com/QR99TR9tOO
— Midwestern Hunky (@hunkypride) May 14, 2024
Meta declined to comment on the lawsuit but a spokesperson previously stated: “The link was mistakenly blocked and was quickly restored once the issue was discovered.” The video, titled “Who Is Bobby Kennedy” and narrated by actor Woody Harrelson highlights Kennedy’s background as an environmental lawyer, his fear of a rushed coronavirus vaccine and skepticism around pandemic-era lockdowns.
🇺🇸 RFK JR SUES META FOR BLOCKING CAMPAIGN VIDEO
RFK Jr and the American Values 2024 super PAC filed a lawsuit against Meta, alleging election interference after a campaign video was blocked.
The 30-minute video about Kennedy's life was removed and users were prevented from pic.twitter.com/hl7BFaxZPM
— World News (@Afaq00987) May 14, 2024
Kennedy, who has been banned in the past from YouTube and Instagram for spreading misinformation about vaccines and the COVID-19 pandemic, rejects the anti-vaccine label. The lawsuit underscores the ongoing debate over social media censorship and its potential impact on elections.
RFK Jr. and AV24 Super PAC Sue Meta, Alleging Election Interference
The lawsuit maintains that Meta censored speech supporting the Presidential candidate, including the recent documentary ‘Who Is Bobby Kennedy?’https://t.co/RoPzNuyANJ
— The Epoch Times (@EpochTimes) May 14, 2024
