Facebook pushes climate sceptics towards increasingly extreme disinformation and conspiracy groups, a human-rights body’s research suggests.
A report released Wednesday by Global Witness found Facebook’s algorithm amplified doubts rather than nudging people towards reliable information.
Facebook says its systems are “designed to reduce misinformation”.
Researchers created two users – climate sceptic “Jane” and “John” who followed established scientific bodies.
They then tracked what Facebook’s algorithm suggested to both accounts.
Jane soon saw content denying man-made climate change, including pages calling it a “hoax” and attacking measures to mitigate its effects.