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Citation

Amplifying the storm: Climate disinformation dynamics during natural disasters on right-wing extremist Telegram channels

Author:
DiMattina, Diego; Sobral, André; Nemer, David
Publication:
Harvard Kennedy School Misinformation Review
Year:
2026

Climate change amplifies natural disasters, posing an existential threat to our society. However, a digital storm is raging on right-wing extremist Telegram channels where climate disinformation works to delegitimize scientific consensus. Investigating the factors that amplify climate disinformation is as critical to combating it as understanding natural disasters and their drivers. We find that climate disinformation is consistently amplified through unregulated platforms and conspiracist sources. Strikingly, a substantial portion of this amplification reflects coordinated behavior, suggesting both an opportunistic nature and the potential involvement of actors seeking to control climate narratives.