On April 23rd, the United Kingdom carried out the first test of its emergency warning system on mobile phones. A siren sound was emitted on the smart phones of all British people with a message explaining that it was a drill. Even those who had silenced their devices heard the alarm for close to 10 minutes. Only few cell phones did not ring, due to a system error.

The idea is to create a way to warn people in the event of a risk situation such as a natural disaster or an attack by another country. The trial, however, has spurred heated debate.

On social networks, residents questioned whether the noise might be problematic for those with small children or relatives with health problems. They also warned about the risk of sirens causing scares that could lead to traffic accidents. The feature can be turned off on cell phones, however, that is not recommended.

Despite all the complaints, the government plans to follow through with the implementation. “It will revolutionise our ability to warn and inform people who are in immediate danger, and help us keep people safe,” said Oliver Dowden, the Vice-Prime Minister (politician who has similar power to a Vice-President), in an official statement. “As we’ve seen in the U.S. and elsewhere, the buzz of a phone can save a life” he added.

Other examples

In the US, the alert is also used as a warning when a child has disappeared or has been kidnapped in a particular area. On April 13th, the Japanese government used the alert after North Korea had launched a missile – the alarm only stopped when it became clear that Japan would not be hit.

Brazil is also planning to adopt the system. The National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) announced plans to put the alert system in operation by the end of 2023. It will be used in areas that are at risk of disasters such as floods and landslides. People can already receive warnings through text messages now, but they are required to sign up for it by dialing the number 40199.

Sources: ABC, BBC, CNN, Brazilian federal government, and Reuters.

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