Photo by Solen Feyissa on Unsplash
Popular social media platform, TikTok promised to crack down on climate change denial. However, a recent investigation by the BBC found that false information about climate change is spreading on TikTok despite the company’s efforts.
One particular video featuring a businessman named Dan Peña, who denies climate change, has been viewed millions of times. The video has been edited and reposted multiple times, and TikTok has struggled to remove such content.
Although TikTok has community guidelines that prohibit climate change denial, the platform has failed to remove almost 95% of the videos, reported BBC. TikTok claims to be working with fact-checkers and providing a link to a United Nations website on climate change, but false information continues to circulate.
The problem is not limited to English-speaking TikTok users; climate change denial videos were found in multiple languages. The spread of misinformation on TikTok can damage the public’s understanding of climate change.
TikTok has taken some action, removing accounts and videos reported by the BBC, but the issue remains unresolved. Critics argue that TikTok needs to enforce its rules consistently and effectively.
The government’s proposed Online Safety Bill aims to address the responsibility of social media platforms in combating disinformation. While efforts to combat climate change denial on TikTok are appreciated, some suggest that promoting accurate climate science information may be more effective than solely removing content.
