Pinterest

Pinterest Will Now Take Down Content Spreading Climate Change Misinformation

The new policy makes it the first social network to prohibit users from sharing inaccurate data about climate

NBC Universal, Inc.

San Francisco-based Pinterest said it will take down any content posted on its platform that denies climate change and its impacts.

The announcement shows Pinterest -- known for providing a space to share ideas about clothing, food and furniture -- is also getting into sustainability.

"We've seen that people are coming to Pinterest to search for ideas to incorporate sustainability into their lifestyle," said Sarah Bromma, head of policy at Pinterest.

The company is launching a pre-emptive strike against climate change misinformation, becoming the first social network to prohibit users from sharing inaccurate data about climate.

"We engaged with external experts, climate scientists, members of academia, health coalitions, and we heard repeatedly from them that climate misinformation is causing harm, and impeding efforts to build a healthy planet," Bromma said.

Bromma said she knows Pinterest is not as likely a target for scammers, but adds they have already fought back against vaccine and election misinformation, and other conspiracy theories.

"And we didn't want to wait until harmful content reached some kind of threshold before we took action," Bromma said.

The site will now use a combination of automation and human review to find misinformation, remove it, and replace it with accurate articles about climate change.

"We know pinners are coming to Pinterest to find these ideas," Bromma said. "They want to make sure it's trusted."

Contact Us