In a policy change announced on Thursday, Google stated there would be no space for monetization of content that denies climate change, and said it would enforce the new policy through a mix of algorithmic detection and human moderation.
Although there is room for interpretation regarding the new policy, Google said that the new policy “[include] content referring to climate change as a hoax or a scam, claims denying that long-term trends show the global climate is warming, and claims denying that greenhouse gas emissions or human activity contribute to climate change.” The new policy will apply to publishers, advertisers, and YouTube creators.
Google’s latest action will undoubtedly go a long way toward addressing content related to the climate crisis and misinformation, and also demonstrates that social media is becoming aware of its responsibility to protect people from climate-related misinformation.
In addition, the policy change also reflects the growing demand from advertisers who do not want their ads to appear alongside such content.
For more information, read the original story in Tech Crunch.