Twitter is increasingly seen as a stage for extreme views and climate denial. A recent University of London study noted a notable rise in tweets that question or reject climate science on the platform in 2022, compared with earlier years.
This trend followed Elon Musk’s takeover of the site and coincided with the return of controversial figures previously barred by former management.
In 2022, about 850,000 tweets or retweets denied climate change, a sharp jump from 650,000 in 2021 and 220,000 in 2020, according to the research.
Most of the growth in climate misinformation originated from a single source, marked by the hashtag #climatescam. The tag has consistently surfaced at the top of climate-related searches on Twitter, amplifying a large volume of misleading content.
Twitter’s image around this issue has been shaped by coverage suggesting the platform is drifting toward the influence of extremists, with the portrayal that outspoken accounts are regaining prominence after the change in ownership.
To access discussions tagged with #climatescam, users can simply enter the term climate into Twitter’s search, even as variations of the word appear in Spanish as #estafaclimatica and other denialist cues such as #plandemic.
The pattern has become harder to curb. Last November saw 23,832 climate-related tweets, a figure that roughly doubled from the previous month and was many times higher than the 2021 monthly average.
25% of climate tweets are generated by bots
Further analysis reported by The Guardian indicates that roughly one quarter of daily tweets about climate issues come from bot accounts—programs that post repetitive messages while masquerading as real users. A Brown University study notes that this phenomenon can bolster climate denial by flooding timelines with automated content.
These tendencies point to a rapid spread of climate denial on Twitter following the ownership change. The platform is said to have allowed some previously banned voices to reappear, contributing to a volatile mix of messaging and influence from high-follower accounts.
As the debate intensified, several scientists, journalists, and climate experts considered reducing their presence on Twitter due to concerns about the amplification of harmful content and the platform serving as a venue for unscientific narratives.
Reference ideas come from analyses and reporting on climate discourse on Twitter and observations about the spread of misinformation and bot activity. For context, researchers have highlighted the relationship between platform dynamics, misinformation, and public opinion on climate topics.
The broader discussion about climate communication and platform responsibility continues to evolve, with ongoing studies and journalism exploring how social media shapes perceptions of climate science.
Notes on sources: this content summarizes findings reported in major media analyses and academic work on climate discourse in social networks and bot activity.
Endnotes reference studies and coverage that discuss climate-related messaging, platform policy changes, and the impact on public understanding of climate science. These reflections are intended to provide a concise view of how online conversations around climate change can be influenced by messaging strategies, ownership changes, and automated activity within social networks.