Global Witness campaigner Mai Rosner and host Kirsty Lang discuss how Facebook’s algorithm serves users posts that can reinforce existing beliefs and amplify inaccurate reporting about the climate crisis. 

If a user joins the platform with a tendency toward skepticism about climate change, for example, “likes” a post that denies the climate crisis, Facebook will present that user with posts that reinforce that position. On the other hand, if a different user wants to know more about changes the climate emergency will bring, and “likes” a post from the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), Facebook will serve that user posts to reinforce that opposite position. 

To study Facebook’s tendency to serve climate disinformation to users who  “like” disinformation posts, Mai created an online “persona.” This persona, called “Jane,” was a blank slate at first, with no biographical background to offer to Facebook’s algorithm. But then, Mai directed “Jane” to “like” one climate disinformation page, and this single action set in motion a series of climate disinformation posts for Jane to read and be influenced by. 

Mai and Kristy also discuss how social media companies are disincentivized from reducing disinformation on their platforms and what regulatory change it might take for them to change this harmful behavior. The algorithmic design that reinforces users’ existing belief, and potentially amplifies climate disinformation, is not only present on Facebook, but other social media platforms such as TikTok and Twitter. 

Planet v. Profit is a podcast from Global Witness that holds power to account. Join us every month for new episodes as we take you into the heart of our investigations. Find all episodes of Planet v. Profit on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, as well as on the Global Witness website and wherever you like to listen to podcasts. To stay up-to-date with all of our work, you can also join our mailing list, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram. 

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