Climate-change deniers to be banned from monetising content on Google and YouTube
Google's new policy prohibits ads for, and monetisation of, content that contradicts scientific consensus around the existence of climate change
Google will no longer allow ads that deny the existence of climate change to appear on YouTube videos and other content.
Announcing new changes in a support document, the company stated that it had seen a large number of Google's advertising partners voicing concerns in recent years over content or videos that promote inaccurate claims about climate change.
"Advertisers simply don't want their ads to appear next to this content," Google's ads team wrote.
Similarly, creators and publishers don't want ads promoting such unscientific claims about climate change to appear alongside their videos or webpages.
"That's why today, we're announcing a new monetisation policy for Google advertisers, publishers and YouTube creators that will prohibit ads for, and monetisation of, content that contradicts well-established scientific consensus around the existence and causes of climate change."
Offending content will include anything that refers to climate change as a hoax or scam; claims that deny long-term observations showing the global climate is warming; and denials that greenhouse gas emissions from the burning of fossil fuels or other human activities contribute to climate change.
Google said it would use a mix of automated tools and human reviews to enforce the new policy, which will begin next month.
The company will ensure that its tools or human reviewers look carefully at the context in which claims are made in order to differentiate between content that states a bogus claim as fact, versus content that reports on or discusses that claim.
Google will still allow ads and monetisation on other climate-related topics, like debates on climate policy, the varying impacts of climate change, new research and more.
The tech giant noted that it had consulted "authoritative sources" to draft its new guidelines, including experts who have contributed to United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessment reports.
The move marks Google's second big misinformation policy change in less than a month.
Last month, YouTube announced that it would block all anti-vaccine posts that contradict health authorities' medical information about vaccines.
Examples of such content include claims that flu shots causes infertility or the MMR vaccine can cause autism. Posts that contain misinformation on the substances in vaccines will also be blocked as part of the updated policy.
Big tech firms currently face increasing pressure to contribute more to the fight against climate change, including action against climate-related misinformation on their platforms.
See also: Why tech needs to come clean on climate
Last month, social media giant Facebook announced its own efforts to tackle misinformation surrounding climate change, including a $1 million grant to support fact-checking of false climate claims.
Earlier this week, Google also launched several products to increase climate awareness, including a new setting in Google Maps that shows the most eco-friendly route to users.
The efforts come at the time when the Biden administration is attempting to pass a $3.5 trillion spending package named the Build Back Better Act, which activists say could help tackle climate change. The legislation includes unprecedented proposals including introducing a tax on methane gas, expanding tax credits for renewables and electric vehicles, and pushing utilities to use more clean energy.
According to research firm Rhodium Group, these measures could potentially lower the USA's greenhouse gas emissions by up to 936 million tons by 2030 (about 14 per cent of the country's 2019 total).
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