Russian-Backed Climate Disinformation Campaign Reaches Millions on Social Media, DOJ Investigation Reveals
New York, NY – A recent investigation has uncovered a sprawling climate disinformation campaign orchestrated by Tenet Media, a company currently under scrutiny by the Department of Justice for allegedly accepting $10 million as part of a Russian influence operation. The Climate Action Against Disinformation Coalition (CAAD), with support from Friends of the Earth and research conducted by the Dewey Square Group, has released a comprehensive memo detailing the extent of the disinformation spread by Tenet Media and its affiliated content creators. This operation leveraged social media platforms, primarily X (formerly Twitter) and YouTube, to disseminate climate denial narratives and obstruct climate action in the United States. The findings reveal a disturbing nexus between foreign influence, social media algorithms, and the spread of harmful disinformation that threatens to undermine efforts to address the global climate crisis.
The investigation, spanning from September 2023 to September 2024, analyzed posts across 69 websites and social media accounts linked to Tenet Media, its founders, and six identified content creators. These accounts collectively boast a staggering 16 million followers and subscribers, a testament to the unwitting amplification provided by social media algorithms. The study found that climate disinformation originating from these sources garnered over 23.5 million views and more than 1 million engagements, demonstrating the significant reach and potential impact of the campaign. This reach underscores the role of social media platforms in inadvertently promoting and disseminating disinformation, effectively weaponizing their algorithms against the fight against climate change.
The content disseminated by the Tenet-affiliated network mirrors typical far-right and fossil fuel-backed disinformation narratives, ranging from outright climate denial and attacks on climate science to conspiracy theories related to COVID-19 and even domestic policy debates like the regulation of gas stoves. The campaign also engaged in ad hominem attacks against proponents of climate action, often employing derogatory language targeting intersectional climate advocacy efforts that incorporate issues of race and LGBTQ+ rights. This multifaceted approach highlights the deliberate and calculated nature of the disinformation campaign, seeking to undermine public trust in climate science and sow discord within the climate movement.
X, formerly known as Twitter, emerged as the primary platform for disseminating this disinformation, accounting for over 19 million views, 290,000 likes, and 144,000 retweets. This dominance highlights the platform’s susceptibility to manipulation and its role in amplifying harmful narratives. Furthermore, YouTube, despite being aware of Tenet Media’s alleged connection to the Russian influence operation, continues to allow monetization of content produced by Tenet-affiliated creators. Climate disinformation on YouTube from these creators has amassed nearly 4 million views in the past year, effectively generating revenue from the spread of misinformation. This practice raises serious questions about YouTube’s commitment to combating disinformation and its prioritization of profit over societal well-being.
The implications of this Russian-backed disinformation campaign are far-reaching. By exploiting social media platforms and leveraging existing far-right narratives, the campaign successfully reached millions of users, potentially influencing public opinion and hindering efforts to implement effective climate policies. This operation serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerability of social media platforms to manipulation and the urgent need for increased regulation and accountability. The fact that a foreign government allegedly financed this operation further underscores the geopolitical dimensions of the climate crisis and the need for a coordinated international response to combat disinformation.
The revelations from this investigation highlight a critical juncture in the fight against climate change. As Erika Seiber, Climate Disinformation Spokesperson at Friends of the Earth and CAAD, emphasizes, "Social media companies’ role in amplifying content that obstructs our ability to address the climate crisis cannot be understated." The continued monetization of climate disinformation by platforms like YouTube and the algorithmic amplification provided by platforms like X raise serious ethical questions and demand immediate action. It is imperative that these companies take responsibility for the content hosted on their platforms and implement robust measures to prevent the spread of disinformation. The future of climate action may well depend on it.