Environmental activists warn of an upsurge in misinformation on the network since the takeover by Elon Musk.
The keyword “ClimateScamwhich denies climate change, has become one of the top search terms on the subject on Twitter, prompting observers to warn on Monday of a rise in misinformation following Elon Musk’s takeover of the platform.
While typing “climate“(in English) in the search bar of Twitter, we come across “ClimateScamas the first result, followed by “Climate Action” then “ClimateEmergency“. “Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter appears to encourage circles challenging global warming to “test” by posting statements that contain various types of misinformation, particularly around the climatesaid Climate Action Against Disinformation (CAAD), a group that analyzes trends in fake news on social media.
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Researchers and pro-climate activists believe that, despite the measures announced by the various platforms, misinformation about global warming is flourishing. Twitter and other networks like Facebook and Google, however, claim to act to make false posts less visible.
But the Institute for Strategic Dialogue think tank said in a study published this year that messages aimed at “deny, deceive and delay» climate action were very numerous on social networks. The vast majority of the world’s scientists agree that humanity is warming the planet by burning fossil fuels, despite the various conspiracy theories flourishing online claiming otherwise.
The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said in its 2021 report: “It is certain that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, the oceans and the land“. He warned that CO2 emissions must be reduced as much as possible to avoid the worst consequences of this warming.
