TikTok is looking to take a more aggressive stance against misinformation around climate change, where the platform has banned all content that 'undermines well-established scientific consensus' about climate change and its impacts.

The move puts the app in step with Pinterest and Twitter as it bans climate change denial on the social media platforms to try and do their part and maximize awareness and action where possible.

According to TikTok:

On April 21, we will start enforcing a new policy on climate change misinformation, which will remove climate change misinformation that undermines well-established scientific consensus, such as content denying the existence of climate change or the factors that contribute to it. As we do for all misinformation policies, we will work with independent fact-checking partners when applying this policy to help assess the accuracy of content.

Climate change denial is still a popular topic of conversation online, and some major publications are actually fueling the belief that the climate threat has been overblown for political means. Facebook hasn't banned climate denial content and still facilitates the distribution of such, which helps to amplify queries - despite, as TikTok notes, scientific consensus being that climate change is happening, and that we need to act now to stop it.

Given the role of social apps in the dispersal of news and information, it's only just that they take responsibility here too. And while a violation of free speech may also be seen by others, there are cases when the public good must figure into such decisions. Really, where scientific consensus is concerned, it's no longer a matter of opinion or 'doing your own research' on the subject.

But on the flip side, the same thing can apply to the COVID crisis that has been the subject of Twitter's 'Twitter Files' expose into government meddling in content moderation within social apps. In that case, scientific consensus was that COVID denialism could potentially limit take-up of the vaccine, along with fear mongering about potential side effects-now, in retrospect, the Twitter Files purport to show how the Government has interfered with free speech to push its own agenda.

Some would argue the same with regard to climate change, but this underlines again that social platforms are working with the best information they have at any given time.
You may want to go back now and suggest that they have acted dishonestly, or with self-interest. But the platforms are working on advice from experts, including the government, in order to evolve their processes in line with need.

In this regard, broader bans on climate denial will help, and TikTok also says it will re-direct users who look up climate content towards its internal climate information center, created in partnership with the UN.

The announcement comes as part of TikTok's Earth Month programming, which will also see the app host a range of dedicated activations and events.

It's a good update, which will hopefully help to limit the impact of climate change denialism and counter-progressive messaging.