Climate misinformation is mutating rapidly around the world Social mediaA new report says this has allowed egregious actors to circumvent regulations and continue to profit.
Disasters caused by climate change can no longer be ignored, and climate change cannot be completely denied. climate change Most people can't stand it anymore.
In the murky online realm of climate change misinformation, a shift in tactics is occurring.
Researchers analyzed thousands of hours of data YouTube After reviewing content from the past six years, we found that „old“ climate denial, which claims global warming is not happening and is not caused by fossil fuel burning, has given rise to new types of misinformation aimed at muddying the waters. I find that it has been replaced by inviting content.
Report by non-profit research group Center for Countermeasures against Digital Hate (CCDH)found that this “new denial” falls into several broad groups. Climate action will not work. And that climate science and the climate movement cannot be trusted.
climate scientist and author michael man describes these new misinformation strategies as “the five Ds of inactivism: deflection, delay, division, despair, and doomism.”
CCDH found that videos containing “New Denial” on YouTube have doubled since 2018. In total, there were more than 34,000 climate change denial claims across the 96 channels analyzed, which were viewed more than 325 million times.
The change was rapid and pronounced, with old climate change denial narratives declining across YouTube while “new denial” proliferated. The latter now accounts for 70 percent of climate misinformation on YouTube, with „old denial“ down to his 30 percent.
Imran Ahmed, CEO of CCDH, said social media platforms provide rich data on how to build an audience and reward viewers to help content creators understand what works. , explained that it helps them determine what doesn't work.
He said the new findings come as scientists and activists have shown success in communicating the facts of climate change and how it is affecting people's lives. He said he was somewhat optimistic. But he warned that new research reveals a serious and growing threat.
„Climate change advocates and policymakers need to recognize this shift or risk losing the information war needed to provide solutions to climate change,“ the researchers wrote. There is.
While climate change denial trends are evident across social media, the study focused on YouTube, which is owned by Google. While the platform is a formidable information resource for billions of people, it is also the „Bodleian of bulls,“ Ahmed said.
A study using an AI tool trained on climate change denial claims found:
– YouTube generated up to $13.4 million in revenue from videos supporting a new type of climate change denial.
– Google's current policy aims to stop monetizing and amplifying misinformation about climate change, and does not address the new denials being deployed by YouTube content creators.
– YouTube continues to run ads about old forms of climate change denial and new forms of misinformation, which are prohibited by our policies.
Google has announced that it will stop monetizing climate change denial content in 2021.
in a statement to independent persona YouTube spokesperson said: climate change policy We prohibit advertising on content that contradicts the established scientific consensus regarding the existence and causes of climate change. Debate and discussion on the topic of climate change, including those related to public policy and research, is permitted.
“However, if content crosses the line of climate denial, we will stop showing ads on those videos. We will also show information panels below relevant videos to help address climate change denial. We will provide additional information regarding the situation from the third party.”
The study analyzed videos produced by fossil fuel lobby groups, media companies, and individual experts. One of the people featured in the report is psychiatrist Jordan Peterson, who has 7.5 million YouTube subscribers. According to the CCDH report, his channel typically takes the form of interviews with fellow climate change deniers, and posts include things like „climate conference“ and „killing the poor to save the planet.“ It contains the title. independent person Dr. Peterson has been contacted for comment.
BlazeTV, founded by conservative flame brand Glenn Beck, regularly features climate change deniers.Media companies also shared False claims about the 2020 presidential election, Along with hosting Sandy Hook conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.
In a video released in July 2022 that has been viewed 71,000 times, Beck claims that the Biden administration is using the climate crisis as a cover for government control, calling for a „Great Reset“ (the world's He claimed that he was using an online conspiracy theory that claimed the plan was planned by elites. Dismantle capitalism and create a new social order.
„They don't care about saving the planet. They know that climate change isn't going to kill millions of people around the world. This is all about gaining power and controlling you. The purpose is that (…) they are using this so-called state of emergency to justify „set up,'' he said in the video. independent person BlazeTV has been contacted for comment.
In this study, in some cases,,YouTube will reportedly split ad revenue with channels, paying 55% to content creators and retaining 45%.
Advertisements run in the „New Denial“ video featured major brands such as Hilton Hotels, as well as global charities Save the Children and the International Rescue Committee.
The Center to Combat Digital Hate called on YouTube and other social media platforms to remove financial incentives, reduce their reach and visibility, and update their policies to address new forms of climate change denial. .
„People have the right to post (this content), but do you give them money and give them a megaphone?“ Ahmed said.
He added: „We don't blame Google for not recognizing this, but we would like to see them change their policies a little bit. They don't reward and profit from this content. Please be so.“