User-Generated Environmental Misinformation on Government X Accounts: a Comparative Analysis of Canada and the United Kingdom

Government social media accounts are regarded as authoritative sources of information, but are they also sources of misleading content? While there is ample research highlighting the benefits of government social media use, such as fostering trust in government, enhancing citizen engagement, and providing accurate information, less scholarly attention has been given to its potential negative effects on members of the public who engage with government social media accounts. This paper examines types of information shared by users on government social media accounts from a comparative perspective. Additionally, we explore the presence and prevalence of misinformation on these accounts. The study draws on content analysis of tweets directed at the UK's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) X accounts (formerly known as Twitter), collected between March 2022 and February 2023. Our findings demonstrate that both DEFRA and ECCC X users are spreading misinformation but in different ways, and to a different extent. ECCC X users predominantly post content denying the reality of climate change, while DEFRA X users critique government policies and services. Finally, while these tweets do not gain widespread traction, they remain accessible for users interacting on government accounts.