cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/19124166

Social media giant Meta blocked or hid Facebook search results for “Cyclone Alfred” ahead of the tropical storm bearing down on Australia’s east coast.

The platform is a key communication channel for emergency coverage in Australia and is used to help broadcast evacuation orders and other updates to residents during a crisis.

Tropical Cyclone Alfred is expected to make landfall between the Gold Coast and southern parts of Wide Bay region as early as Thursday evening as a category two cyclone.

It is forecast to bring destructive winds and the risk of life-threatening flooding.

But general searches about cyclones or “TC Alfred” did produce information and articles in the search results, indicating some kind of throttling about the term Cyclone Alfred specifically.

[…]

The Queensland government has urged the community to visit its disaster monitoring website for the most up-to-date information.

  • sqgl@beehaw.org
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    2 days ago

    You misunderstood me. We are on the same page. However this tangent intrigues me.

    I am old enough to remember the JJJ transition to national youth station. I never met Frollows but his ambient show on Sunday nights was my favorite. Definitely not youth music. Did it get axed too at that time?

    • Salvo@aussie.zone
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      2 days ago

      Frollows fired Tony Biggs after he played NWA on air.

      He is immortalised in the song “Arnold Frollows is a Genius” by Front End Loader, which was a sarcastic criticism of him.

      • sqgl@beehaw.org
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        2 days ago

        Are you sure about Biggs?

        A news reader was disciplined at first for playing a snippet but authorities backed down.

        That article is wrong in that “Express Youself” was played on repeat in protest well beyond 4:30pm and therefore completed a full 24 hours.