Instagram blocked Robert F Kennedy Jr from the social media network for spreading misinformation about Covid-19 and vaccines, the company confirmed Thursday.

"We removed this account for repeatedly sharing debunked claims about the coronavirus or vaccines," a spokesperson for Facebook, which owns Instagram, told AFP.

The nephew of assassinated US president John F Kennedy nonetheless remained active on Facebook, where he had made similar posts promoting debunked claims about harm done by vaccines.

"We don't automatically disable accounts across our apps, because the accounts may post about different things on our different services," the spokesperson said.

Robert F Kennedy Jr has repeatedly spread debunked claims about vaccines, and spoke at a protest in Berlin in 2020 called by Covid-19 deniers and members of the far right
Robert F Kennedy Jr has repeatedly spread debunked claims about vaccines, and spoke at a protest in Berlin in 2020 called by Covid-19 deniers and members of the far right AFP / John MACDOUGALL

The environmental activist and son of former US attorney general Robert F Kennedy has repeated a false claim that the recent death of baseball legend Hank Aaron was linked to the Covid-19 vaccine.

He had previously posted misinformation about the flu vaccine.

Kennedy frequently has gotten involved in controversial issues and personalities, speaking last summer to a massive demonstration in Berlin of coronavirus deniers organized by the far right, and joining forces with Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez to provide heating oil to poor Americans.

Facebook also removed several other accounts from the two sites for spreading vaccine disinformation.

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