Twitter Bans Climate Change Misinformations Ads From Its Platform

Twitter has announced it will ban ads which support climate change misinformation, in response to an alarming recent IPCC report.

The social media giant made the announcement on Earth Day, 22 April last week, and said misleading advertisements will be prohibited in line with its inappropriate content policy, which also prohibits violence, personal attacks, and coordinated harassment.

“We believe that climate denialism shouldn’t be monetised on Twitter, and that misrepresentative ads shouldn’t detract from important conversations about the climate crisis,” Twitter said in a statement.

“We recognise that misleading information about climate change can undermine efforts to protect the planet.

“In the coming months, we’ll have more to share on our work to add reliable, authoritative context to the climate conversations happening on Twitter.”

The announcement follows increased pressure on the advertising industry to severe its partnerships with fossil fuel companies.

Earlier this year, a coalition of climate scientists released a public letter urging all PR and advertising agencies to immediately cease working with clients who promote fossil fuels.

The letter was signed by 450 scientists, and marked the first time such a large scientific body had convened to address the advertising industry’s complacency in the worsening climate crisis.

Similarly, volunteer climate action advocacy group, Comms Declare, last month called for ad agencies to immediately drop fossil fuel clients, which included the Federal Government.

“If you are working with any client that is not on track to reduce emissions by at least 50 per cent this decade, then you are enabling the climate emergency,” said Comms Declare founder, Belinda Noble.

Twitter’s decision to ban climate misinformation follows similar tactics adopted by other tech giants, including Google and Meta.

Last year, Google announced it would stop ads for, and monetisation of content which misled viewers on climate change’s causes and its scientific consensus, while Meta invested $US1m ($A1.3m) in its new Climate Misinformation grant program.

According to Twitter, conversations discussing climate change on its platform have risen by 150 per cent since 2021, while discussions around waste reduction had increased 100 per cent, and those regarding decarbonisation have increased by 50 per cent.

While Twitter did not specify when it would begin enforcing these new rules, it did say it would have more to share on its efforts to add “reliable, authoritative context to the climate conversations happening on Twitter” in the coming months.

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