American Values 2024 (AV24), a super PAC supporting independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., announced plans to file a lawsuit against Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram.
The legal action comes in response to Meta’s censorship of a 30-minute biographical film titled “Who Is Bobby Kennedy?” about Kennedy’s life, environmental activism, and presidential campaign.
The documentary, narrated by Woody Harrelson, has gained significant attention, amassing over 6 million views across various platforms. However, Meta’s actions hindered its dissemination on Facebook and Instagram. Users attempting to share the film faced obstacles such as being unable to upload the video, receiving inconsistent reasons for the blockage ranging from spam to violating community standards, or encountering errors like “upload failed.”
Kennedy’s platform and policy objectives, including his stance against direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising, have faced challenges in media coverage. Critics argue that these controversies and idiosyncrasies are magnified while his sensible policy proposals are sidelined, possibly due to pressure from influential entities in the news and entertainment industry.
The film’s suppression led to widespread condemnation of what many perceive as election interference. Hundreds of users posted screenshots documenting the censorship, prompting the campaign to collect evidence of Meta’s actions.
In response to Meta’s censorship tactics, AV24 plans to pursue legal avenues, asserting violations of the First Amendment and civil rights laws. They accuse Meta of brazenly censoring speech supportive of Kennedy’s candidacy, undermining the democratic process of an election decided by voters, not corporations.
Despite obstacles on Meta platforms, the film found traction on other social media outlets, where it trended and garnered over 12 million views. This contrast highlights concerns about “shadow banning” and algorithmic suppression of content on certain platforms.
Tony Lyons, AV24 co-founder, emphasized the importance of platforms like X in enabling free speech and open exchanges of ideas in a democratic society.
Jay Carson, the creator of the documentary, criticized Meta’s actions, citing the critical role of political speech in American democracy and comparing corporate censorship to turning off political ads on television.
Meta’s spokesperson, Andy Stone, claimed that the film link had been “incorrectly flagged” as spam, in a statement met with skepticism given the broader context of censorship allegations.
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