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Search for tweets using phrases like \u201cclimate scam\u201d and you\u2019ll find they increased by 300% last year, according to research by the non-profit Advance Democracy. The numbers have been accelerating rapidly since Musk completed his bid for Twitter, subsequently rolling back moderation of misinformation and outright lies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat’s happening in the information ecosystem poses a direct threat to action,” Jennie King, head of climate research and response at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, a London-based nonprofit, told Associated Press. \u201cIt plants those seeds of doubt and makes people think maybe there isn’t scientific consensus.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A rise in hate posts and misinformation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Social media, in general have been blamed for disrupting social norms, raising questions about free elections, for one thing, and promoting divisiveness over issues like racism and anti-Semitism, as well as COVID vaccines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Posts denying climate change are nothing new, whether on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or other social media outlets. But most of these sites have made at least half-hearted efforts to block the most egregiously false postings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since Musk took over Twitter<\/a><\/span><\/strong>, however, he has slashed the service\u2019s staff, with major cuts coming in areas overseeing the moderation of content. Describing himself as a \u201cfree speech absolutist,\u201d Musk has reinstated the accounts of numerous users banned for extremist posts, including former President Donald Trump. In turn, there\u2019s been a sharp rise in racist and anti-Semitic content, as well as tweets denying climate change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some of the posts related to climate change denialism have been labeled as misinformation, Associated Press noted, but far from all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s a big irony here. Since he first invested in Tesla 17 years ago, Musk has spoken out strongly about the need to address global warming, positioning electric vehicles as a critical part of the solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s important to say that what Elon did with Tesla is one of the greatest contributions to climate change anyone\u2019s ever made,\u201d Microsoft founder and philanthropist Bill Gates said two years ago during an appearance on the Sway podcast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But in Musk\u2019s role as CEO of Twitter, the surge in climate change denials has \u201cput rocket boosters on the spread of lies and disinformation,\u201d Imran Khan, the CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate<\/a><\/span><\/strong>, said, according to the AP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s made the rise of terms like \u201cclimate scam\u201d so concerning, is how much visibility they get, said Khan. A significant number of deniers are spending the $8 a month that gets them a blue check mark which is seen as a sign of approval \u2014 and which increases visibility for those posts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Prior to Musk, only a limited number of verified Twitter users got the blue check.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Twitter\u2019s policy shift under Musk has covered a lot of ground. It ended efforts to restrict false information about COVID-19. And it has reinstated accounts of numerous users who previously had been block for posting hate speech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Climate](\"https:\/\/www.thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Climate-scam-tweet-two-1-23-23-1024x500.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nClimate change or climate scam? Musk promotes both<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Twitter boosts visibility of misinformation \u2014 for a fee<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Climate](\"https:\/\/www.thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Climate-scam-tweet-one-1-23-23-1024x877.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nTwitter isn\u2019t alone<\/h2>\n\n\n\n