A research institute accuses Facebook of tolerating the spread of climate-misleading ads

Today, a research institute report accused the "Facebook" company of opening up room for the spread of misleading advertisements about the climate, despite the social network confirming that it has addressed the problem.

Influence Map used public data from Facebook to identify 51 ads denying any link between human activities and climate change, which were viewed more than eight million times on the online platform during the first half of 2020.

This happened despite the ban on false advertisements on "Facebook", which stressed again in September its "commitment to fighting climate change."

Of the 51 advertisements identified, Facebook did not withdraw only one ad, while the remaining ads remained throughout the period allocated for the accompanying campaign.

According to Agence France-Presse, 9 advertisers spent a total of 42 thousand dollars on the 51 ads.

It has attracted greater sightings among men over the age of 55 in rural US states, especially Wyoming and Texas.

The announcements adopted a strategy to challenge the credibility of climate science by emphasizing in particular the absence of scientific consensus on the issue.

US Senator Elizabeth Warren described the report as "heartbreaking," saying that it "reveals the way in which Facebook allows climate change skeptics to spread dangerous nonsense to millions of people."