Pinterest Details Comprehensive Climate Misinformation Policy

Pinterest unveiled its new climate misinformation policy Wednesday, claiming to be the first major digital platform with clearly defined guidelines against false or misleading climate change information, including conspiracy theories, across content and ads. Content that will be removed under the policy for potentially harming the public’s safety, trust or wellbeing includes: Content that denies the existence or impacts of climate change, the human influence on climate change or that climate change is backed by scientific consensus.False or misleading content about climate change solutions that contradict well-established scientific consensus.Content that misrepresents scientific data, including by omission or cherry-picking, in order to erode trust in climate science and experts.Harmful false or misleading content about public safety emergencies, including natural disasters and extreme weather events. Pinterest stressed that all ads on its platform must comply with its community guidelines, and its advertising guidelines were updated to explicitly prohibit any ads containing conspiracy theories, misinformation and disinformation related to climate change. Pinners are using the platform to search for a greener life, as queries for zero waste tips were six times higher from Feb. 5 through March 6 of this year compared with the same period in 2021, while searches for recycling clothes ideas were four times higher, recycled home décor up 95% and zero waste lifestyle up 64%. Pinterest said it partnered with experts including the Climate Disinformation Coalition and the Conscious Advertising Network to help inform and develop its policy based on common misinformation themes that they are seeing across media platforms. The platform added that creators from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, the U.K. and the U.S. will take part in a creator originals content series, crafting Idea Pins to help Pinners learn about topics such as minimizing food waste, thrifting tips and upcycling clothes. Users who search for terms such as eco-friendly living and sustainable living will see a Pin that will take them to an article of the day leading up to Earth Day April 22, including curated boards and inspired content around sustainability. Pinterest head of policy Sarah Bromma said in a statement, “Pinterest believes in cultivating a space that’s trusted and truthful for those using our platform. This bold move is an expansion of our broader misinformation guidelines, which we first developed in 2017 to address public health misinformation, and have since updated to address new and emerging issues as they come to the forefront. The expanded climate misinformation policy is yet another step in Pinterest’s journey to combat misinformation and create a safe space online.”