Google takes action against climate change deniers and prohibits the promotion of content that denies the existence and cause of climate change.
Advertising platforms such as Google, YouTube and Facebook are now pillars of communication and help influence the public opinion of people and institutions.
For this reason, Google takes a firm position against environmental misinformation and announces that the insertion of ads that deny climate change and the monetization of content that have the same purpose will no longer be allowed. There will no longer be room for theses that treat this as a hoax, deny global warming, or even reject the juxtaposition of greenhouse gas emissions and rising temperatures. Instead, ads and monetization of content that discuss climate policy or related scientific research will be allowed.
Google ADS policy attentive to CO₂
Therefore, Google Ads prohibits the advertising and monetization of content that contradicts the established scientific consensus on the existence and causes of climate change. In short, if climate change or greenhouse gas emissions are denied, the advertiser will no longer be able to advertise on Google or have monetization on videos on YouTube.
How will it be carried out?
Identification and evaluation of climate change denial content will be done by examining the context in which the statements are presented, distinguishing between content that asserts a false statement and content that informs or discusses this statement.
Who is affected?
Content creators who work on the YouTube platform and websites and newspapers that use Google’s advertising services will be involved.
The decision came after a growing number of advertisers raised concerns in recent years that their ads were often shown alongside content with false climate change claims.
Similarly, it is still essential to examine the context of the statements, differentiating between content with a false statement and content where only the subject is questioned. And this will be done through automated tools and human moderators.
On the other hand, advertising and monetization continues on YouTube on other climate-related topics, including public debates on climate policy, the different impacts of climate change, new climate research, etc.
In conclusion, Google is not far behind and, aware of the reality of climate change, wants its platform to be a speaker of struggle and social improvement.