Supreme Court Declines to Hear Case Against Anti-Vaccine Group Over Free Speech Rights

On July 1, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court announced that it will not take up a case involving a prominent anti-vaccine organization linked to former U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The case was initiated by the Children's Health Defense, which claimed that social media giant Meta Platforms (the parent company of Facebook and Instagram) improperly censored their vaccine-related content.

The group contended that Facebook and Instagram removed their posts, alleging this violated their First and Fifth Amendment rights to free speech. Kennedy, who has been known for his outspoken anti-vaccine stance and served as the group's chairman, argued that Meta colluded with the federal government to silence their posts starting in 2019. The group's Facebook page was eventually taken down in 2022 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lower courts, including the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, dismissed these claims, ruling there was no substantial evidence that Meta acted in concert with government authorities to suppress the content. Since Meta is a private company, courts upheld its right to decide what content to allow on its platforms.

By declining to hear the case, the Supreme Court effectively affirmed these lower court decisions. The justices did not provide an official comment on their decision. This ruling maintains the legal principle that private companies can regulate content on their platforms, even involving controversial or health-related topics.

For further details, the lower court's ruling against the Children's Health Defense can be reviewed here: [link].

This decision underscores ongoing debates over free speech, platform moderation, and vaccine misinformation on social media.