Activists display a 5,000-lb ice sculpture with an embedded Facebook logo in front of the U.S. Capitol on November 4, 2021. (Photo: Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images)
Climate Coalition Pushes Social Media CEOs to End Planet-Killing Disinformation
"Platforms owe it to their users and the planet to stop amplifying the climate disinformation that undermines our ability to combat the climate crisis."
A coalition of more than a dozen environmental and tech organizations demanded Tuesday that Facebook, Twitter, Google, and other social media giants take immediate steps to combat the flood of climate disinformation on their platforms, warning the proliferation of such lies "undermines governments' ability to efficiently and effectively respond" to the global emergency.
In a letter to the CEOs of Facebook, TikTok, Google, Twitter, and Pinterest, 14 climate groups noted that the esteemed Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has "named climate disinformation as a threat to the world's ability to effectively address" the planetary crisis, which is fueling deadly extreme weather events across the globe.
"Social media companies bear responsibility for their role in amplifying and perpetuating climate disinformation."
Arguing that "social media companies bear responsibility for their role in amplifying and perpetuating climate disinformation," the letter calls on social media executives to "fulfill obligations set forth in" the European Union's recently approved Digital Services Act, a law aimed at reining in Big Tech's power and requiring social media platforms to mitigate the spread of disinformation.
Signed by 350.org, Accountable Tech, Friends of the Earth, and other prominent environmental groups, the new letter urges social media CEOs to "commit to including climate disinformation as a separately-acknowledged category in its reporting and content moderation policies in and outside of the E.U."
"More specifically," the letter continues, "we urge platforms to commit to recognizing climate disinformation as a specific reason within the statement required under DSA Article 15(1), and include data on content moderation decisions related to climate disinformation as stated under Article 23."
The letter was sent a month ahead of the COP27 climate talks in Egypt, a summit sponsored by leading plastic polluter Coca-Cola.
The role that social media giants and advertising firms have played in the dissemination of climate falsehoods has received growing attention on an international stage in recent weeks as research shows Facebook and other platforms are badly failing to live up to even their own limited content policies.
"Platforms owe it to their users and the planet to stop amplifying the climate disinformation that undermines our ability to combat the climate crisis," the coalition wrote in its letter Tuesday.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. In a few short weeks, US voters will have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
A coalition of more than a dozen environmental and tech organizations demanded Tuesday that Facebook, Twitter, Google, and other social media giants take immediate steps to combat the flood of climate disinformation on their platforms, warning the proliferation of such lies "undermines governments' ability to efficiently and effectively respond" to the global emergency.
In a letter to the CEOs of Facebook, TikTok, Google, Twitter, and Pinterest, 14 climate groups noted that the esteemed Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has "named climate disinformation as a threat to the world's ability to effectively address" the planetary crisis, which is fueling deadly extreme weather events across the globe.
"Social media companies bear responsibility for their role in amplifying and perpetuating climate disinformation."
Arguing that "social media companies bear responsibility for their role in amplifying and perpetuating climate disinformation," the letter calls on social media executives to "fulfill obligations set forth in" the European Union's recently approved Digital Services Act, a law aimed at reining in Big Tech's power and requiring social media platforms to mitigate the spread of disinformation.
Signed by 350.org, Accountable Tech, Friends of the Earth, and other prominent environmental groups, the new letter urges social media CEOs to "commit to including climate disinformation as a separately-acknowledged category in its reporting and content moderation policies in and outside of the E.U."
"More specifically," the letter continues, "we urge platforms to commit to recognizing climate disinformation as a specific reason within the statement required under DSA Article 15(1), and include data on content moderation decisions related to climate disinformation as stated under Article 23."
The letter was sent a month ahead of the COP27 climate talks in Egypt, a summit sponsored by leading plastic polluter Coca-Cola.
The role that social media giants and advertising firms have played in the dissemination of climate falsehoods has received growing attention on an international stage in recent weeks as research shows Facebook and other platforms are badly failing to live up to even their own limited content policies.
"Platforms owe it to their users and the planet to stop amplifying the climate disinformation that undermines our ability to combat the climate crisis," the coalition wrote in its letter Tuesday.
A coalition of more than a dozen environmental and tech organizations demanded Tuesday that Facebook, Twitter, Google, and other social media giants take immediate steps to combat the flood of climate disinformation on their platforms, warning the proliferation of such lies "undermines governments' ability to efficiently and effectively respond" to the global emergency.
In a letter to the CEOs of Facebook, TikTok, Google, Twitter, and Pinterest, 14 climate groups noted that the esteemed Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has "named climate disinformation as a threat to the world's ability to effectively address" the planetary crisis, which is fueling deadly extreme weather events across the globe.
"Social media companies bear responsibility for their role in amplifying and perpetuating climate disinformation."
Arguing that "social media companies bear responsibility for their role in amplifying and perpetuating climate disinformation," the letter calls on social media executives to "fulfill obligations set forth in" the European Union's recently approved Digital Services Act, a law aimed at reining in Big Tech's power and requiring social media platforms to mitigate the spread of disinformation.
Signed by 350.org, Accountable Tech, Friends of the Earth, and other prominent environmental groups, the new letter urges social media CEOs to "commit to including climate disinformation as a separately-acknowledged category in its reporting and content moderation policies in and outside of the E.U."
"More specifically," the letter continues, "we urge platforms to commit to recognizing climate disinformation as a specific reason within the statement required under DSA Article 15(1), and include data on content moderation decisions related to climate disinformation as stated under Article 23."
The letter was sent a month ahead of the COP27 climate talks in Egypt, a summit sponsored by leading plastic polluter Coca-Cola.
The role that social media giants and advertising firms have played in the dissemination of climate falsehoods has received growing attention on an international stage in recent weeks as research shows Facebook and other platforms are badly failing to live up to even their own limited content policies.
"Platforms owe it to their users and the planet to stop amplifying the climate disinformation that undermines our ability to combat the climate crisis," the coalition wrote in its letter Tuesday.