Digital platforms have become central players in public discourse, yet they often act as unintended accomplices to the spread of climate misinformation and denial. A new report examines how the world’s leading social networks handle climate-related content, with Twitter, now rebranded as X, ranked as the least effective among the platforms analyzed.
The study, produced by Climate Action Against Disinformation, an alliance of international climate organizations, offers a detailed look at content moderation policies across Pinterest, YouTube, TikTok and X. Using a 21-point scoring framework, the researchers quantify how each platform performs on key criteria, providing a clear view of where most networks fall short.
Among the platforms reviewed, X receives the lowest score. Ownership by Elon Musk is cited as a contributing factor to questions about policy continuity and enforcement. The report notes that while X maintains a privacy policy that is accessible, it does not sufficiently curb climate misinformation, does not deter monetization of fraudulent activity, lacks transparent governance, and does not clearly explain how policy decisions are made.
The study’s assessment of platform governance
The authors observe that the acquisition of X by a controversial tech figure raises uncertainty about which rules remain in effect. Following the official closure of the deal, X paused certain Covid-19 misinformation bans, and subsequent changes, framed as a move to protect free expression, appear to have allowed more misinformation and hostile content to proliferate.
On the topic of climate claims, the report highlights remarks attributed to the platform’s leadership. In 2018, the executive quoted climate change as a major threat while also making statements that critics argue downplayed other environmental impacts. The paper also points to ongoing efforts to amplify alternative theories, which some observers characterize as leaning toward conspiratorial content within the far right.
The study notes a pattern of increased activity around climate topics on X, citing research from City, University of London, which found more climate-related tweets and retweets in 2022 than in prior years, alongside skepticism in the messaging. Additional analyses reported that a sizable portion of climate-focused users left the platform following Musk’s acquisition.
The broader landscape across platforms
While X is singled out for the lowest rating, the study indicates that other services face similar challenges. YouTube and Facebook/Instagram each score modestly higher, with TikTok showing a stronger performance in the study, and Pinterest receiving a middling score that still stands out as a relative positive in the dataset. The overall takeaway is that most large social spaces do not consistently enforce policies that address climate misinformation.
The researchers caution that billions of daily visitors rely on these platforms to get accurate information, yet enforcement remains uneven. Even where platforms have announced policy changes, gaps in monitoring and application allow misinformation to slip through. The situation has been influenced by broader events, including the Covid-19 pandemic and the 2020 U.S. elections, which prompted shifts in corporate strategy and staffing.
Economic pressures and reorganizations in recent years have further affected content moderation teams, potentially reducing the capacity to police climate hoaxes effectively. The report argues that this is not mere historical concern but an ongoing risk to the information ecosystem and public understanding of climate issues.