Weather modification is not a fringe activity. More than 50 countries operate active cloud seeding programs, according to the World Meteorological Organization. The United Arab Emirates seeds clouds to augment rainfall. China operates the world's largest weather modification program. The United States has 1,084 reports on file with NOAA.

Regulation varies widely

Some countries require public disclosure. Others do not. The United States requires operators to file with NOAA at least 10 days before any activity under the Weather Modification Reporting Act of 1972 — but the GAO found in 2025 that over half of filings contained errors or missing information.