On Facebook it is still possible to create confusion about the climate crisis, according to research by the think tank InfluenceMap. The platform's promises to tackle disinformation seem to change little...
In the first six months of this year, the research group registered 51 different ads on Facebook with disinformation about climate science. Of the 51 ads, only one was actively removed by Facebook.
The ads were viewed by a total of 8 million users in the United States, according to figures from Facebook itself. Based on this, InfluenceMap estimates that at least 70 million users have seen such messages since the Paris Climate Accord five years ago.
Initiative
Facebook has been under pressure for some time now to do something about the problem. Last month, the platform therefore launched the 'Climate Science Information Center', with facts and figures from authoritative sources, and promised to assess climate ads through the existing fact checking program.
One of the biggest lessons we have learned from the COVID-19 pandemic is how powerful Facebook can be for connecting people to accurate, expert advice and information during a global crisis. Now, we are taking a similar approach to the climate crisis by launching a new Climate Science Information Center on Facebook to connect people to factual and up-to-date climate information. - Facebook
But the research shows that two ads from the conservative group PragerU were shown until October 1, two weeks after the announcement of the Climate Science Information Center.
Doubt
The research shows that the groups behind the advertisements mainly try to sow doubt about the scientific certainty of climate change. They often question the credibility of institutions such as the UN climate panel.
The advertisers use the powerful tools Facebook offers to reach specific target groups by selecting by age, gender, location, online behaviour and interests. Most of the ads were targeted to the American countryside, especially Texas and Wyoming, and to men over 55. Interestingly, the 18-34 age group saw ads that mainly question the effects of climate change, while the ads for people over 55 mainly question the causes.
Devastating
"InfluenceMap’s devastating report reinforces and reveals how Facebook lets climate deniers spread dangerous junk to millions of people", said Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren in a response. She continuous:
We have repeatedly asked Facebook to close the loopholes that allow misinformation to run rampant on its platform, but its leadership would rather make a quick buck while our planet burns, sea levels rise, and communities – disproportionately Black and Brown – suffer. Facebook must be held accountable for its role in the climate crisis.
Bill Weihl, former Sustainability Director at Facebook, is also critical of the company:
Calling out the climate misinformation issue on Facebook is crucial because the company's limited attempts to deal with the problem are failing to keep pace with powerful tactics like micro-targeting. It's yet another attempt by Facebook to say "we're doing some good", when the problem continues, mostly unabated.
About InfluenceMap:
InfluenceMap launched its corporate climate lobbying platform on the eve of the Paris Agreement in late 2015 in response to growing demand from investors and other stakeholders. The analysis provided clarity, and, for the first time, detailed measurement of how corporations influence policy needed to address climate change. - source: https://influencemap.org/page/About-Us
Download Report: Climate Change and Digital Advertising. Climate Science Disinformation in Facebook Advertising, October 2020