While the internet serves us in several ways, it can also be harmful. And one way specifically is how false information is regulated — many absorb everything they read, hear, or see on the internet as fact, though it sometimes comes from unreliable sources. This can be particularly damaging in regards to climate change.
That's exactly why TikTok's new climate disinformation policy is such an important addition to the app's guidelines, which nonprofit Friends of the Earth ruthlessly campaigned for.
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"TikTok's new policy to reduce the spread of climate disinformation is a step in the right direction. However, it can and should go further. TikTok, and social media companies like Google, YouTube and Facebook, should open up their algorithmic black boxes in order to build trust and work towards creating a safe and equitable digital public square," Michael Khoo, Climate Disinformation Program Director at Friends of the Earth, stated in a press release sent to Green Matters.
"Furthermore, it’s up to political leaders to turn TikTok’s voluntary commitments into industry baselines," he continued. "Only broader legislative action can provide the safety, security, and privacy required in our digital spaces. Initiatives like the Digital Services and Oversight Act and strong implementation of the E.U.’s Digital Services Act could take us much further towards transparency, and encourage this young industry to mature."
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