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Facebook unveils new climate initiative, but wont change policy on misinformation

Facebook announced Tuesday that it is launching a science information center to provide users with facts and resources around the climate crisis.

The new feature is the latest in a string of resource hubs that have enabled Facebook to set clear lines of demarcation on matters of fact and fiction.

It will continue to apply warning labels to demonstrably false information, but will not take down posts unless they pose an immediate safety risk.

Facebook has also announced that its own global operations will achieve net zero carbon emissions and be 100 percent supported by renewable energy this year.

The announcement comes on the eve of the United Nations General Assembly, which will have a focus on climate change and environmental sustainability.

The actions provide Facebook, which liberals often criticize as being too impartial on political issues, an opportunity to align themselves with a core issue for many progressives and countries around the world.

Facebook's decision to refrain from taking more aggressive action on climate misinformation, however, will leave critics with plenty to complain about.

Democratic politicians have recently called for Facebook to do better on climate content, arguing there's a loophole that exempts the topic from fact checking.

The climate hub, like the Covid-19 and voting hubs before it, provide areas where Facebook can lean on scientific or legal experts to more aggressively distinguish between good and bad information.

Despite the overwhelming scientific evidence around climate change, the issue remains political and polarizing in the U.S., so Facebook's move is likely to draw some scrutiny.

Original article
Author: Nbcnews

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