--- title: "Facebook Removes “Storm Area 51” Event" description: "Facebook has removed an event called \"Storm Area 51\" with some 2 million Facebook users who have RSVP'd, claiming it violated community standards." date: "2019-08-06" modified: "2019-08-06" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/facebook-removes-storm-area-51-event" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "air force" - "facebook" - "the digest" - "US Air Force" --- # Facebook Removes “Storm Area 51” Event ![Facebook has removed an event called "Storm Area 51" with some 2 million Facebook users who have RSVP'd, claiming it violated community standards.]() *\Image: Victor Tangermann\* ## Alien Adventure Facebook has [removed a mega-viral event]() called "Storm Area 51," claiming it violated community standards. Before it was removed, the tongue-in-cheek event amassed more than [2 million Facebook users](), grabbing the attention of the [mainstream media](). The idea, according to the even description, was to invite an army of memelords and alien enthusisasts to raid the top-secret Air Force military base in the middle of Nevada’s desert. "Let's see them aliens," the event description read. Area 51 has long been the subject of wild speculation and alien conspiracy theories. The 5,000 square mile base has hosted hundreds of [nuclear weapons tests]() and has served as testing grounds for a range of new [stealth aircraft](). ## Party Poopers Unsurprisingly, storming the grounds would've been a really terrible idea. As a spokesperson [told *The Washington Post*](), "the U.S. Air Force always stands ready to protect America and its assets." The man behind the event Mathew Roberts is now planning an actual Area 51 festival that will take place in Nevada on September 20, [according to *CNET*](). But Facebook is having none of it — it already took down that event page as well. **READ MORE:** [Area 51 raid event 'to see them aliens' removed by Facebook]() \[*CNET*\] **More on the event:** *[Air Force “Stands Ready” to Defend Area 51 From Facebook Event]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()