Civil society groups have called on Google to strengthen its policies to prevent financial gains from posts that contain misleading environmental information.
These groups highlighted that ads are still being displayed alongside content in which the creators deny the existence of the climate crisis, despite the company's commitment to take strict action in this regard.
A letter was sent to Google CEO Sundar Pichai, signed by thousands of people, following major hurricanes that hit the United States and triggered a wave of misinformation, just weeks before the UN's climate summit, COP29.
In 2021, Google announced a policy banning ads on content that denies climate change and its causes, aiming to ensure that those promoting misinformation could not monetize their platforms, including YouTube. However, the letter, signed by about twelve organizations, pointed out that ads have continued to appear next to such content.
"We are urging Google to enforce the policy thoroughly and immediately to ensure it is credible, as we see climate change adversely affecting communities right now," the letter said.
Although Google removed the monetization option for some content published by the Heartland Institute, a conservative U.S.-based think tank, the letter noted that regulatory bodies are still observing ads appearing alongside misleading climate messages on YouTube.
The letter also called for Google to "permanently and immediately revoke the ability to profit from the Heartland Institute," along with other outlets that spread climate misinformation.
Last month, an investigation by the group Global Witness estimated that The Epoch Times, a conservative site accused of spreading climate misinformation, generated nearly $1.5 million in revenue for Google last year.
Moreover, YouTube allowed content promoting climate change denial to generate revenue, with influencers being paid by Russian influence campaigns, according to a report by the environmental group Friends of the Earth last month.
This letter comes in the wake of devastating hurricanes that recently hit the United States, which coincided with a surge in misinformation that officials have said hindered relief efforts.
The COP29 summit is set to begin where around 200 countries will gather in hopes of reaching an agreement to boost financial aid for developing nations to help them adapt to the impacts of global warming.
