Big Tech strikes again with election interference as Instagram concedes an “error” led to the suspension of a presidential candidate’s account. Democratic Party presidential primary candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was censored by Instagram and calls this attempt to silence him “profoundly undemocratic.” The outrage continues as YouTube adds “Context” warning labels to Kennedy Jr.’s interview content. It’s time we hold Big Tech accountable for violating free speech.
In a stunning display of election interference, Instagram recently admitted to censoring Democratic Party presidential primary candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. After Kennedy Jr. called out the platform for its “undemocratic” censorship, Instagram’s parent company, Meta, confessed its mistake and reinstated the account. Yet, public outcry was required for Instagram to reverse the suspension, despite Kennedy Jr. launching his campaign over a month ago.
The controversy started when Kennedy Jr.’s Instagram account was originally suspended for alleged COVID-19 vaccine misinformation. In the face of the platform’s attack, Kennedy Jr. took to Twitter, stating, “To silence a major political candidate is profoundly undemocratic.” Undeniably, such action undermines the democratic process and raises critical questions about the power of social media platforms.
Unfortunately, this incident marks only the beginning of the challenges the Kennedy Jr. campaign has faced by Big Tech. On Monday, a “Context” warning label was attached to a Kennedy Jr. interview with Dr. Jordan Peterson on YouTube. This controversial action by YouTube further exemplifies the suppression strategies employed by Big Tech against voices they disagree with.
Dr. Jordan Peterson, a victim of censorship himself, criticized YouTube’s decision on Twitter. Sadly, it seems YouTube remains unwilling to give an explanation for their censorship practices. Additionally, YouTube’s
