Experts Warn: Climate Misinformation Will Surge on Social Media

The recent decision by Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, to dismantle its fact-checking program while simultaneously diminishing content moderation practices prompts a critical examination of the future landscape of content on these social media platforms.

One particularly alarming implication of these changes is the potential proliferation of climate misinformation across Meta’s applications, which could include misleading or out-of-context assertions during emergency situations.

In 2020, Meta introduced its Climate Science Information Center to counteract climate misinformation. At present, third-party fact-checkers collaborated with Meta identify and flag false or misleading posts. Following this identification, Meta determines whether to impose warning labels and subsequently curtail the visibility of such content through its algorithms.

Meta’s protocols predominantly focus on fact-checking viral misinformation, hoaxes, and “provably false claims” that possess temporal relevance and significant societal impact, specifically excluding opinion-based content that lacks factual inaccuracies.

The company plans to terminate its partnerships with domestic third-party fact-checkers in March 2025. Notably, these alterations aimed at U.S. users will not extend to fact-checking mechanisms for international users. Furthermore, the technology sector is currently confronted with increased regulatory scrutiny concerning misinformation, particularly in regions like the European Union.

Jill Hopke, Associate Professor of Journalism, DePaul University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.