YouTube is now taking measures against misinformation about climate science. YouTube has prepared a new policy barring ads and monetization for content that denies the “well-established scientific consensus” about climate change, including videos that claim climate change is fake. YouTube will start enforcing the policy in November.
YouTube to block ads for climate change denial videos
According to YouTube, it will not remove advertisements from videos that tackle climate change denial claims from the perspective of analyzing why they are incorrect or why people succumb to related frauds. Instead, it will be applied to videos that present climate change disinformation as if it were a reality.
YouTube: “We’re announcing a new monetization policy for Google advertisers, publishers and YouTube creators that will prohibit ads for, and monetization of, content that contradicts well-established scientific consensus around the existence and causes of climate change.”
Other kinds of climate-related content will also be advertised, including debates on climate change. The automated tools together with YouTube’s human reviews will decide which videos should be ads-enabled and which should be deprived of revenue. This change in advertising comes after YouTube decided to prohibit videos that spread vaccine disinformation.