Growing attention to extreme weather events is fueling the spread of Spanish-language misinformation about climate change, according to an NBC News article reporting on the findings of several researchers. Increased public interest around climate change and extreme events has led to more misinformation on Spanish-language social media platforms. Researchers say news about extreme weather events and government policies regarding climate often become opportunities for social media accounts to spread false information.

The study mentions that, especially in the context of Latino communities, there is often the spread of conspiracy theories related to climate change on platforms like TikTok. For example, the report by the nonprofit research center, Media Matters for America highlights that Spanish-language social media accounts on TikTok have spread conspiracy theories about climate change ahead of a U.N. summit on climate development goals. The researchers analyzed several posts that denied climate change and promoted unfounded theories, such as the existence of a secret climate control program called HAARP.

The research also points out that there is a network of social media accounts in Spanish, mainly in Spain and Latin America, that promote a right-wing agenda and share content translated from English that denies climate change. This contrasts with the more established presence of English-language social media accounts in the U.S., which are dedicated to climate change denial. The study highlights the use of coded language to spread misinformation and mentions that the content moderation policies of platforms like TikTok are not as effective at detecting and removing misinformation in Spanish.

The importance of the topic is underscored by the fact that Latinos in the U.S. and elsewhere are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, such as wildfires, hurricanes, and floods. However, many Latinos are also more likely to rely on social media for information, making them susceptible to misinformation. While a large majority of Latinos support action to address climate change, misinformation on social media platforms can distort perceptions and attitudes.

The NBC News article underscores the importance of addressing this spread of misinformation and suggests measures such as forcing social media companies to disclose their progress in removing climate misinformation in Spanish and educating Spanish speakers about the dangers of misinformation. Overall, it highlights how Spanish-language misinformation can contribute to a lack of adequate awareness of climate change and its implications, especially among Latino communities.