Ahead of World Earth Day tomorrow (22 April) the social media app TikTok has confirmed that it has developed a specific climate misinformation policy.
In a blog post the platform has said that it will begin directing users who search for climate related terms to videos “from sources deemed authoratitive” and will begin removing climate change misinformation more stringently.
TikTok will also host a TikTok live ahead of World Earth Day with a climate change focused discussion from members of the MetOffice and Earthtopia.
TikTok, who have faced backlash in the past for misinformation around the Russia-Ukraine war and issues such as the Covid-19 vaccine, said in the blog post that they have worked with the UN to identify accurate content on the climate. It will add the policy the guidance it already has on the other key areas of misinformation.
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“As we do for all misinformation policies, we will work with independent fact-checking partners when applying the policy to help assess the accuracy of content. To further build our community’s resilience to misinformation, we are also introducing a new search feature that directs people who seek out climate change-related content towards authoritative information,” the social media company wrote.
TikTok also pointed out in the blog that popular climate search terms on the app include #nature, #ocean and #climateaction, and that activists such as @mikaelaloach already campaign for an inclusive climate change movement.
“At TikTok, we tackle misinformation through a multi-pronged approach – and we believe that taken holistically, these updates will empower accurate climate discussions on TikTok and reduce harmful misinformation,” a TikTok spokesperson reportedly said to the climate focused publication Edie.
