Climate deniers find new ways to monetize misinformation on YouTube

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Content creators to have spent THE pass five years development new tactical has evade Youtube Strategies blocking monetization of videos manufacturing FAKE complaints about climate change, A report Since A non-profit advocacy band, THE Center For To counter Digital To hate (CCDH), warned Tuesday.

What THE CCDH find East that content creators WHO could No longer monetize videos diffusion "old" shapes of climate denial, including complaints that "global warming up East not event" Or "human-generated tight gas are not provoking global warming" - to have moved lit.

NOW they are more and more push other complaints that contradict climate science, which Youtube has not Again banned And can not Never to forbid. These include harmful complaints that "impacts of global warming up are beneficial Or harmless," "climate solutions won't work," And "climate science And THE climate movement are unreliable."

THE CCDH discovered these new climate denial tactical by using artificial intelligence has analysis transcriptions of 12,058 videos job on 96 Youtube chains that THE CCDH find had previously job climate denial content. Checked by researchers, THE AI model used was judge accurate In labeling climate denial content approximately 78 percent of THE time.

According to has THE The CCDH analysis, THE Rising of content challenge climate solutions, climate science, And impacts of climate change Today understand 70 percent of climate denial content - one percent that double Since 2018 has 2023. HAS THE even time, THE Rising of content push old climate denial complaints that are Stronger Or impossible has monetize fell Since 65 percent In 2018 has 30 percent In 2023.

These "new shapes of climate denial," THE CCDH warned, are designed has delay climate action by diffusion misinformation.

"A new in front has open up In This battle," Imran Ahmed, THE The CCDH chief executive, said on A call with journalists, according to has Reuters. "THE people that We have has been look has, they have disappeared Since saying climate change is not it event has NOW saying, 'Hey, climate change East event, but there East No hope. There are No solutions.'"

From Based on 2018 on "estimates of typical announcement price on Youtube" by social media analytic tool Social Blade—YouTube can to have benefited by as a lot as $13.4 million annually Since videos reported by THE CCDH. And Youtube confirmed that a few of these videos Featured climate denial that Youtube Already explicitly prohibitions.

In answer has THE The CCDH report, Youtube demonetized a few videos find has be In breach of It is climate change policy. But A spokesperson confirmed has Ars that THE majority of videos that THE CCDH find were considered compliant with Youtube announcement policies.

THE do that most of these videos stay compliant East precisely Why THE CCDH East call on Youtube has update It is Strategies, however.

Currently, Youtube policy forbidden monetization of content "that contradicted well established scientist consensus around THE existence And causes of climate change."

"OUR climate change policy forbidden ads Since running on content that contradicted well established scientist consensus around THE existence And causes of climate change," Youtube spokesperson said Ars. "Debate Or discussions of climate change the subjects, including around public policy Or research, East allowed. However, When content crosses THE double has climate change denial, We stop showing ads on those videos. We Also display information panels below relevant videos has provide additional information on climate change And context Since third holidays. »

THE CCDH worries that Youtube standing by It is current policy East Also myopic. THE band recommended refine THE policy has instead specify that Youtube forbidden content "that contradicted THE authoritative scientist consensus on THE causes, impacts, And solutions has climate change."...