A person holds a tablet showing the Pinterest log-in page Pinterest aims to remove all climate misinformation from its platform. - Media Credit: Adobe Stock

Pinterest Becomes First Social Media Platform To Ban Climate Misinformation

Climate misinformation is rife on some social media platforms, but Pinterest is working to address that

By

2 Minutes Read

Pinterest has announced plans to block all climate misinformation from its social network.

Image-focused Pinterest is predominantly used for sharing and finding home renovation inspiration, clothing, and beauty hacks. But it’s not immune from those who use the platform to make misleading, or blatantly false, claims about the climate emergency.

But, unlike other platforms (see: Facebook), Pinterest is taking responsibility for the spread of misinformation. It has pledged to remove all climate crisis denial-focused content from its pages. This includes anything that denies that climate breakdown has been influenced by human beings, as well as the misrepresentation of scientific data, and false information about solutions to the climate crisis.

Sarah Bromma, Pinterest’s head of policy, told the Guardian that Pinterest wants to “cultivate a space that’s trusted and truthful.” It is the only social media platform to regulate climate misinformation in this way.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CaaDLUlgz09/

The problem with climate misinformation

Last September, Meta (then known as Facebook) announced new plans to counteract misinformation about the climate crisis on its platforms Facebook and Instagram. This included things like investing in misinformation prevention-focused organizations and producing video content spotlighting young climate activists.

But many still criticized Meta for simply not doing enough. And last November, two studies—one by the Center for Countering Digital Hate and one by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue—found that misleading information was still rife on Facebook.

They discovered that fewer than 10 percent of misinformation-centered posts were flagged as such. The posts referred to the climate crisis using words like “scam” and “hysteria.”

Climate denial posts are dangerous. The climate crisis is a very real and present threat, after all.

Human-caused greenhouse gas emissions—driven by animal agriculture, fashion, and the transportation industries, to name a few of the biggest culprits—are rising to dangerous levels. But time is still on our side.

According to the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, we can halve emissions by 2030. But only if industries take climate action now.

The spread of false information on social media undermines the severity of the situation.

Michael Khoo is the head of Friends of the Earth’s anti-disinformation unit. He told the Guardian that, by removing climate misinformation, Pinterest is demonstrating “great leadership.”

He added: “We encourage others to take note of Pinterest’s efforts to reduce climate change disinformation.”

Millions around the world trust Plant Based News for content about navigating our changing planet & our role in it.

Our independent team of journalists and experts are committed to making an impact through a wide range of content—and you can help by supporting our work today.

heading/author

The Author

Charlotte Pointing

Charlotte writes about sustainable beauty, fashion, and food. She spent more than 4 years editing in leading vegan media, and has a degree in history and a postgraduate in cultural heritage.

More by Charlotte Pointing iconography/arrow-right

heading/comments

Leave a Comment

Plant Based News Comment Policy

In short:- If you act with maturity and consideration for other users, you should have no problems. Please read our Comment policy before commenting.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
buttons/scroll-to-top/scroll-to-top-small-active