Midwestern meteorologist and University of Missouri professor Anthony Lupo had his Facebook page “Midwest Missouri Weather” taken down by Meta after a debate over whether a busy tornado season in Missouri was driven by La Niña or climate change.
Professor Lupo, who held a centrist position—acknowledging some human role in global warming but emphasizing natural climate patterns—ran the page for over five years. He reports that after a “mildly combative” exchange on the origin of tornado activity, his personal account was temporarily locked and, upon regaining access on June 8, discovered the page had vanished without explanation.
The page posted weather forecasts and climate summaries regularly. Lupo noted receiving vague “community standards” warnings on posts, despite these being factual summaries of observations—sometimes warning of deviations above or below normal climate trends.
Lupo believes the page was removed due to the debate comparing natural phenomena like La Niña with climate change, though he acknowledges Meta provided no clear reasoning. He only has circumstantial proof linking the removal to that discussion.
This incident raises concerns that social media platforms may limit content discussion on climate, even neutral or institutional scientific analysis. Lupo’s experience—where a longstanding educational page disappeared amid scientific debate—highlights issues around content moderation and scientific discourse online.
