JAKARTADAILY.ID - Facebook ads promoted false and misleading claims about climate change in recent weeks, just as the COP26 conference was held.
One of them is an ad released in multiple versions, made by conservative media network Newsmax calling man-made global warming a "hoax", which since then had garnered over 200,000 views.
Another ad has conservative commentator Candace Owens in it, saying "apparently we're just supposed to trust our new authoritarian government" on climate science. Meanwhile, a US libertarian think-tank's ad says "modern doomsayers" had been wrongly predicting climate crises for decades.
The ads were made possible to run due to Facebook, which is recently renamed to Meta, doesn't have a specific policy in climate misinformation in ads or unpaid posts. Generally, it will only remove posts determined to pose real-world harm, such as hoaxes surrounding COVID-19.
Upon questioning, Facebook says it demotes posts ranked as false by its this-party fact-checkers. Then, ads with these debunked claims will be prohibited. Advertisers that repeatedly post false information might be put on restriction on their ability to advertise.
"While ads like these run across many platforms, Facebook offers an extra layer of transparency by requiring them to be available to the public in our Ad Library for up to seven years after publication," commented a company spokesperson as quoted by Reuters.
One of the efforts from Facebook to provide correct information is by adding informational labels to posts about climate change. The labels will direct users to its Climate Science Center, a new page with facts and quizzes launched in New Zealand and 13 other Pacific nations earlier this month.
"The Climate Science Centre will provide credible information to our community from New Zealand and Pacific organizations affiliated with the IPCC," the company said at the time.
