The Coalition Against Climate Disinformation (CAAD) and Friends of the Earth have published a memorandum documenting the spread of climate misinformation. Research shows that this disinformation is supported by Tenet Media, a company currently under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice for receiving $10 million as part of a Russian influence operation. This is reported by Foe.
The analysis, conducted by researchers at the Dewey Square Group, covers posts on 69 websites and social media accounts linked to Tenet Media, its founders, and six content creators listed on their website. These accounts collectively have at least 16 million followers, allowing the Russia-funded disinformation to reach a wide audience.
It is noted that the climate misinformation spread by Tenet Media accounts and associated content creators has garnered more than 23.5 million views and over 1 million interactions.
The climate content from this Russian operation is similar to disinformation funded by fossil fuel and far-right groups. It includes standard climate change denial, offensive attacks on intersectional climate protection efforts, and various conspiracy theories, including those related to COVID-19 and U.S. domestic political debates.
The platform X/Twitter has become the most popular for spreading this content, gathering more than 19 million views, 290,000 likes, and 144,000 retweets.
Notably, YouTube continues to allow the monetization of content related to Tenet, even after the connection to the Russian influence operation was uncovered. Climate disinformation on YouTube from Tenet-linked creators garnered nearly 4 million views over the past year.
Erica Seiber, a climate disinformation spokesperson for Friends of the Earth and CAAD, expressed concern about the role of social media in spreading disinformation. She noted that companies like YouTube and X profit from Russia-backed disinformers, which hinders effective action against the climate crisis. Seiber stressed that foreign leaders are interested in the failure of U.S. climate policies, and social media platforms are, in her view, aiding them in this effort.
