Emergency phone alert: Should people turn it off?
What's happening? Millions of mobile phones across the UK received the government's emergency alert on Sunday – but it has sparked a debate on whether it endangers lives.
A message appeared alongside a loud alarm at 3pm, in a nationwide test of a new public alert system that is intended to be used in life-threatening situations including flooding and wildfires.
The message was received on 4G and 5G mobile phones, along with sound and vibration for up to 10 seconds – even if devices were on silent.
Phone users were prompted to swipe away the message or click 'OK' on their home screen before being able to continue using their device.
However, a debate has been sparked as to whether some vulnerable women at risk of domestic violence should turn it off altogether. Others have taken exception to the state interfering with their lives.
Emergency phone alert: How to turn off warning message to your mobile (Yahoo News, 4 min)
What have domestic abuse charities said?
Domestic violence campaigners had warned the test could put people in danger by revealing the location of secret phones hidden away by those at risk.
Charity Refuge published a YouTube video advising victims how to prevent the message alerting abusers to secondary phones that they may be hiding in case of an emergency at home.
Emma Pickering, the senior operations tech abuse manager at Refuge, said that there was a "very real risk" that such alerts could endanger some survivors of domestic abuse.
Women‘s Aid said they were "concerned about the potential safety risks to survivors" due to the loudness of the alert, while Citizens Advice said phones "should be switched off completely" to "avoid discovery", urging people to share the advice, even if it doesn’t apply to them.
Domestic abuse victims advised to turn off phones for UK emergency alert (Guardian, 3 min)
What does the government say?
As well as domestic abuse charities, road safety campaigners and groups representing the elderly also urged caution amid concerns scammers could target them.
Others said the alert was of limited value to people, most of whom would likely be aware of any emergency scenario that would require such a message.
Last week, Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg said he did not want to be "shouted at by the government".
The government has insisted the alerts are necessary as they have the "potential to alert people to significant danger", such as flooding or terrorist attacks.
The prime minister's official spokesman said that there had been an "extensive five-week communications campaign" to give people enough time to change their phone settings if necessary, with "successful tests" carried out in East Suffolk and Reading before Sunday's nationwide trial.
Officials also stressed that it is easy to opt out of the system if people need their phone to stay concealed.
Don't deactivate emergency phone alert, No 10 urges (The Telegraph, 3 min)
How to turn the emergency alert off
The alerts work on Apple iPhones running iOS 14. and on Android phones and tablets running Android 11 or later – but people running earlier versions of Android are advised to check the device settings for 'emergency alerts' as they may still be received.
Apple iPhone owners can opt out by going to the device settings and scrolling for ‘emergency alerts’ at the end of the page and turning off ‘Severe alerts’ and ‘Emergency alerts’.
Android owners should search their settings for ‘emergency alerts’ and turning off ‘Severe alerts’ and ‘Emergency alerts’.
On some devices, search for ‘emergency alerts’ and turn off ‘Extreme threats’, ‘Severe threats’, and ‘Show amber alerts’.
UK emergency alerts – how to stay safe (Women’s Aid, 2 min)
