Key Takeaways
The U.S. Supreme Court announced it will not hear an anti-vaccine group's censorship case
Lower courts ruled that Facebook's parent company Meta did not violate the group's free speech rights
The decision allows platforms like Facebook to choose their own content rules
TUESDAY, July 1, 2025 (HealthDay News) — On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court said it will not hear a case brought by a group once led by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that claimed Facebook censored its vaccine-related content.
The Children’s Health Defense sued Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram. It claimed the company removed their content in violation of free speech rights, NBC News reported.
Kennedy, who is now Health and Human Services secretary in the Trump administration, founded the group and served as its chairman. It has a history of anti-vaccine activism.
The group argued that Meta colluded with the federal government to silence its posts starting in 2019. Its Facebook page was taken down in 2022 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The group claimed this violated the First and Fifth Amendments in the U.S. Constitution, NBC News said.
However, lower courts ruled against them. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said there was no solid proof that Meta acted in concert with the government.
Because Meta is a private company, the courts ruled it has the right to decide what content it allows.
The Supreme Court declined to review the case, which means the lower court rulings will still stand. The justices did not comment on their decision, according to NBC News.
More information
Read the lower court’s ruling against Children’s Health Defense.
SOURCE: NBC News, June 30, 2025
What This Means For You
Private companies like Facebook can set their own content rules.
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