American Values 2024 (AV24), the super PAC supporting Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for president, is suing Meta, the social media giant that owns Facebook and Instagram.

The action follows what Kennedy supporters refer to as Meta’s blatant censorship of “Who Is Bobby Kennedy?” –– an intimate, 30-minute film about Kennedy and his campaign to become the next president. 

In violation of the First Amendment, of civil rights laws dating back to the Civil War, and of the American people’s fundamental right to a presidential election decided by voters, not by trillion-dollar corporations, Meta Platforms is brazenly censoring speech supportive of Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.  

Legal Complaint by American Values

Despite Meta’s censorship, the film is currently trending on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, where it has been shared by thousands and viewed more than12 million times, according to American Values.

The film was conceived, filmed and produced by Apple TV +’s The Morning Show creator Jay Carson and director Mike Piscitelli.

Kennedy supporters say the film tells Kennedy’s story in an eloquent, candid, motivating, and entertaining way. It details how the prevailing narrative about him – “crazy,” “dangerous,” “unhinged” – bears little resemblance to the reality of who Kennedy is and the work he’s done as a successful environmental attorney and corruption fighter. 

The super PAC purchased the film and launched it on May 3, using YouTube as the host, on the website https://whoisbobbykennedy.com/ 

As Facebook and Instagram users tried to share the film’s link, many discovered they couldn’t. They were notified that there was a problem with the link, which wasn’t the case.

Later, according to American Values, users were informed that the link was removed because it goes against Instagram’s “Community Guidelines” due to one of the following transgressions: “spam”; “support or praise of terrorism, organized crime or hate groups”; “solicitation of sexual services”; and “sale of firearms and drugs.” 

The film’s reach on Facebook and Instagram has been minimal, a sign of “shadow banning,” a method that platforms use (relying on algorithms) to suppress the organic reach of content they don’t want to spread, according to American Values.

The film censorship went beyond Meta: Internet and social media czars quickly slapped the video with a Covid-19 vaccine disclaimer, referring users to the World Health Organization (WHO) website. 

“When social media companies censor a presidential candidate, the public can’t learn what that candidate actually believes and what policies they would pursue if elected,” said Tony Lyons, co-founder of AV24. “We are left with the propaganda and lies from the most powerful and most corrupt groups and individuals. This is the hallmark of an oligarchy—not a democracy.” 

Lyons praised X for allowing its users to share “Who Is Bobby Kennedy?” 

“American democracy needs X,” Lyons said. “Our country was built on the principle of enabling free and open exchanges in the marketplace of ideas. Today, X is one of the only platforms upholding that vital tradition.” 

There is no form of speech more carefully protected in America than political speech. Silicon Valley companies blocking political ads with which they don’t agree, while giving shifting and dissembling answers as to why they’re doing it, strikes at the heart of our democracy.

From Ross Perot to President Obama, political infomercials for presidential candidates have a rich and effective history in American politics. We set out to make a modern version of that format, and Facebook and Instagram then banned it, blocked it, and made it impossible to see. Had cable TV turned off Perot’s infomercial in 1992 or Obama’s in 2008, it would have been viewed with outrage, and Facebook’s and Instagram’s actions are similarly outrageous.

Jay Carson, the film’s co-creator and producer

Andy Stone, a spokesman for Meta, claimed to The New York Times  that the link to the film had been incorrectly flagged as spam. 

Learn more about American Values 2024 here.

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