Facebook blocks searches for Cyclone Alfred

KARACHI, Pakistan

Social media giant Meta blocked or hid Facebook search results for Tropical Cyclone Alfred, which is bearing down on Australia's east coast, Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported on Wednesday.

The social media 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.

Meta's own data shows that over 300,000 accounts and pages on Facebook are posting about Cyclone Alfred, which is forecast to make landfall on Thursday or Friday morning.

The storm is likely to bring damaging wind gusts, storms, and heavy rainfall, which is expected to impact a large warning zone spanning Queensland and New South Wales (NSW) states.

Users who tried to learn more about it using the search term on the social media platform were coming up with empty or non-related results.

Meta did not respond to questions, but some Australian news content started reappearing in the search results hours after the company was contacted by ABC on Wednesday.

Citizens warned to stay indoors

Authorities have issued a "watch and act level warning" for people in several northern NSW communities to "stay indoors."

The warning advises people to keep safe from the effects of Tropical Cyclone Alfred by remaining inside unless they have been directed to evacuate due to expected flooding.

In Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, citizens have collected 400,000 sandbags ahead of the storm.

It's more than double the 182,000 sandbags taken during the city's 2022 flood event.