The company’s move will explicitly prohibit contradicting the “well-established scientific consensus around the existence and causes of climate change”.
Google is tackling climate change denial across its advertising platforms and YouTube, with bans and new demonetisation policies from next month.
The company’s move will explicitly prohibit all advertisements that contradict the “well-established scientific consensus around the existence and causes of climate change”.
It will also prevent YouTube videos from earning money if they refer “to climate change as a hoax or a scam”, deny that long-term trends show the global climate is warming, and that “greenhouse gas emissions or human activity contribute to climate change”.
It follows the company updating its ads and monetisation policies regarding fake medical cures and anti-vaccine advocacy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The company already restricts advertisements from appearing alongside content about sensitive topics, including firearms and tragic events, although this is the first time that climate change denial has been added to the list.
Google said it would be looking “carefully” when evaluating climate content so that it can differentiate between content that spreads false claims as facts or that simply discusses those claims.
Read More: Google to ban ads and demonetise YouTube videos promoting climate change denial
