Meta Removes Missouri Weather Page After Climate Change Debate, Scientist Claims

Professor Anthony Lupo, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Missouri, claims that Meta removed the Midwest Missouri Weather Facebook page he managed for over five years following a debate about the state’s active tornado season and its potential links to La Niña or climate change. After a mildly combative discussion with another user who attributed the season's activity to climate change, Lupo's personal account was locked and upon regaining access, he found the weather page had disappeared without explanation from Meta. Lupo noted that his page provided weather forecasts and climate summaries, and he occasionally received warnings about violating community standards despite only summarizing numerical data. Experts have warned that Meta's recent policy changes, including the removal of third-party fact-checking and introduction of X-style community notes, may accelerate the spread of climate misinformation. The removal comes amid shifts in Meta's policies under CEO Mark Zuckerberg that critics say align more closely with President Donald Trump's stance on such topics. Lupo expressed concern over the growing trend of living in a world with diminishing respect for facts, highlighting the challenges in discussing climate science on social media platforms.