The Carbon Footprint of Social Media – Analysis of Top Apps

Context – TikTok’s Controversial Footprint

Today we conducted an analysis of the carbon footprint of social media. In December 2024, a Guardian article raised an intriguing claim: TikTok’s carbon footprint for its annual operations might surpass that of Greece, with the average user generating greenhouse gases equivalent to driving an additional 123 miles annually in a gasoline-powered car.

The piece, citing an analysis by Greenly (a carbon consultancy), reported TikTok’s emissions for the US, UK, and France at 7.6 million metric tons of CO₂ annually, extrapolating to 50 million metric tons globally. This revelation adds to growing concerns about the environmental impact of digital platforms. However, the Guardian article lacks cited data or methodology of analysis, making the claims challenging to understand in the full context.

In response, we conducted an independent analysis of TikTok and other major social media platforms, including YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat. Our aim was to estimate their carbon footprints based on user engagement, data consumption, and global electricity emissions.

The results, while illuminating, highlight significant discrepancies and complexities in assessing the environmental costs of social media. Notably, we found that TikTok’s global emissions are significantly lower than the Guardian’s claims and fall well below Greece’s total annual emissions.

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Our Results

Using publicly available data on user metrics and energy consumption, we calculated the monthly carbon emissions for these platforms:

Platform	Total Data (TB/month)	Energy (MWh/month)	Emissions (Metric Tons CO₂/month)
TikTok	13,840,800	1,107,264	525,950
YouTube	18,262,500	1,461,000	693,975
Instagram	5,400,000	432,000	205,200
Facebook	2,845,890	227,671	108,144
Snapchat	912,000	72,960	34,656
Greece*	–	–	4,305,833

Key Findings:

1. TikTok’s Annual Emissions: Extrapolated globally, TikTok’s emissions are approximately 6.31 million metric tons CO₂ annually, significantly lower than the Guardian’s global estimate of 50 million metric tons.
2. YouTube’s High Footprint: With its vast user base and engagement, YouTube has the largest carbon footprint among the platforms analyzed, emitting nearly 8.33 million metric tons CO₂ annually.
3. Platform Efficiency: Snapchat, due to its focus on lighter media formats (photos and short videos), has the smallest footprint at just over 415,872 metric tons CO₂ annually.

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Discussion

Comparison with Greece

Greece’s annual emissions for 2023 were reported at approximately 51.67 million metric tons of CO₂. By comparison, our estimate of TikTok’s global annual emissions of 6.31 million metric tons CO₂ are about 12% of Greece’s total emissions, a much smaller figure than implied by the Guardian’s extrapolated claim of 50 million metric tons.

This places TikTok in the context of smaller national footprints but highlights the outsized impact of digital platforms when scaled globally. For instance, YouTube’s annual emissions of 8.33 million metric tons CO₂ are closer to 16% of Greece’s total.

Discrepancies with the Guardian Article

The Guardian’s claim of TikTok’s global emissions reaching 50 million metric tons seems significantly overstated. Our analysis suggests this figure is closer to 6.31 million metric tons. The difference likely stems from:

• Scope of Analysis: The Guardian may have included emissions from Douyin (TikTok’s Chinese counterpart) and indirect sources such as device manufacturing and employee commuting.
• Assumptions on Data Rates: Higher assumed video data consumption could inflate emissions estimates.
• Regional Factors: Variability in data center efficiency and electricity grid carbon intensity might impact the results.

The Role of Engagement

User engagement plays a critical role in carbon emissions. TikTok’s high engagement rate (58.4 minutes per day) drives its substantial footprint relative to other platforms. In contrast, Facebook’s lower engagement and text-heavy content contribute to its smaller impact.

Energy Efficiency and Sustainability

Efforts by companies to adopt renewable energy for data centers can dramatically reduce their carbon footprints. TikTok’s “Project Clover” aims for carbon neutrality by 2030, though its implementation remains unclear. Platforms like Meta (Facebook and Instagram) and Google (YouTube) have made more visible commitments to renewable energy, but the Guardian notes concerns about underreporting due to renewable energy credits.

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Methodology

Our analysis followed a structured approach using publicly available data:

1. Data Sources

Platform	User Base (Billion)	Avg. Daily Time (Minutes)	Data Rate (MB/Minute)	Source Reliability	Sources
TikTok	1.58	58.4	5	Moderate	Statista, Demand Sage
YouTube	2.5	48.7	5	High	Statista, Sprinklr
Instagram	2.0	30	3	High	Meta Reports, Demand Sage
Facebook	3.07	30.9	1	High	Meta Reports, Statista
Snapchat	0.8	19	2	Moderate	Statista, App Annie

Data Rate Assumptions: The assigned data rates (MB/minute) reflect typical usage patterns for each platform:

• TikTok and YouTube (5 MB/min): Both platforms are video-centric, where high-definition videos dominate user activity, leading to higher data transfer requirements.
• Instagram (3 MB/min): A mix of photo content, short videos (Reels), and Stories results in moderate data consumption compared to video-dominant platforms.
• Facebook (1 MB/min): Primarily text and photo-based content drives low data usage per minute.
• Snapchat (2 MB/min): Frequent sharing of photos and ephemeral short videos requires slightly more data than Facebook but less than video-first platforms.

2. Energy Consumption

• Data Center Energy Intensity: 80 Wh/GB.
• Sources: Thunder Said Energy.

3. Carbon Emissions

• Global Electricity Emission Factor: 475 g CO₂/kWh.
• Sources: IEA.

Caveat: These energy consumption estimates are generalized and may vary significantly based on regional data center efficiency and the sources of electricity used. For instance, data centers in regions powered predominantly by renewable energy such as those in Scandinavia and regions of Canada with hydropower will have a lower carbon footprint compared to those relying on fossil fuels. Additionally, variations in cooling and operational efficiency across facilities can influence overall emissions. Use our handy guide to investigate the carbon intensity of electricity in different geographic regions.

4. Calculation Steps

To estimate the carbon emissions for each platform, we followed these steps:

1. Total Data Consumption: We calculated the total amount of data transferred monthly by multiplying the number of active users on each platform by their average daily usage time (in minutes) and the assigned data rate (in MB per minute). This value was then scaled to a monthly basis and converted to terabytes (TB).
2. Energy Consumption: The total data transferred in TB was converted to energy usage by applying a standard data center energy intensity factor of 80 Wh per gigabyte (GB). This gave the energy consumption in megawatt-hours (MWh).
3. Carbon Emissions: Finally, the energy consumption in MWh was multiplied by a global average electricity emissions factor of 475 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour (g CO₂/kWh), yielding the total carbon emissions in metric tons of CO₂ per month.

For example, TikTok’s emissions were calculated as follows:

• Data Transfer: 1.58 billion users × 58.4 minutes/day × 5 MB/minute × 30 days ÷ 1,000,000 = 13,840,800 TB/month.
• Energy Use: 13,840,800 TB × 80 Wh/GB ÷ 1,000 = 1,107,264 MWh/month.
• Emissions: 1,107,264 MWh × 475 g CO₂/kWh ÷ 1,000 = 525,950 metric tons CO₂/month.

These calculations were repeated for each platform, adjusting for their respective user bases, engagement levels, and data rates.

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Conclusion

The carbon footprint of social media platforms varies significantly, driven by user engagement, data consumption patterns, and energy efficiency. While TikTok’s global emissions are substantial, they are likely much lower than the Guardian’s extrapolated estimate. Our analysis underscores the importance of transparency and regional adjustments in environmental assessments of digital platforms.

As data centers grow in scale and platforms expand globally, companies must prioritize energy efficiency and renewable energy transitions. Policymakers and consumers alike have a role in demanding accountability and sustainable practices from the tech industry. The environmental impact of our digital lives may be invisible but is far from negligible.