Google’s climate action challenges Facebook

WASHINGTON – The Google ads team announced it will prohibit users from profiting from climate denial content on their platforms. The new policy, which applies to Google advertisers, publishers who run Google ads and YouTube creators, increases the pressure on Facebook to crack down on climate misinformation. 

Friends of the Earth co-chair of the Climate Disinformation Coalition Michael Khoo issued the following statement in response: 

Google’s decision to limit the profiting of climate denial puts a focus on Facebook and its primary role in spreading climate disinformation online. There should be no financial incentive to spread lies about climate change. Facebook has hidden its data on climate denial, but as we approach an international climate negotiation in Glasgow, Facebook must take much stronger action. 

Our research has shown that a mere 1% of climate denial even got fact checked, in the Texas “windmill” debacle earlier this year. Now it’s time for Facebook to stop being the last bastion of climate denial. 

Communications contact: Brittany Miller, (202) 222-0746, [email protected]