Public emergency alert - being sent to your phone

[808 Estate]

dundarach said:

Just like the "tick tock" in nuclear facilities.

[fat80b]

sospan said:

I will be interested into how it will be used. What will be the criteria for triggering an alert and what area it will cover.
Currently I see weather forecasts that show general weather and occasional warnings of extreme conditions. These have served me well to date…..

It’s not for providing updates on the wetness of the weather.

It’s for the impending Nuclear war and the 4 minute warning when Putin goes full Putin….

I’m continually surprised that people can’t see it for what it is….A government prompt to bone the wife sharpish before all your skin peels off

[cuprabob]

fat80b said:

I’m continually surprised that people can’t see it for what it is….A government prompt to bone the somebody else's wife sharpish before all your skin peels off

FTFY

[jshell]

You can switch off the alerts, but you can't uninstall the App that many of us didn't ask for. Looking at the permissions, it can connect with local devices. Does that mean other devices on my home network?

So, again, I can switch off the Alerts, but I have an App on my phone, my phone that the authorities can use, if it is activated, to stop me using my phone until I take some action. I don't understand why. I don't understand why it's an App and not a Network wide text message sent to 'all users'.

Now the Tinfoil bit: Does that mean that in principle this App can be used to shutdown the ability to use my phone? In essence, does it potentially have the same functionality as the Social Credit system App in China?

[A500leroy]

I cant even turn the notification off in my android.

[cuprabob]

A500leroy said:

I cant even turn the notification off in my android.

I can on my Android.

[eharding]

A500leroy said:

I cant even turn the notification off in my android.

If it's a OnePlus, Realme, Oppo or Xiamo, just keep shouting "Xi Jinping looks like Winnie the Pooh" at the phone - it won't be long before someone from the CCP will hear you and have your handset remotely bricked, thus saving you from the terrifying possibility of receiving any UK Emergency Messages.

[Fundoreen]

Duck and cover! We stand more chance now with a text than the 1950s when you had to wait for the mailman to post your Duck and cover! alert.

[Narcisus]

Who cares ...

[Vanden Saab]

A500leroy said:

I cant even turn the notification off in my android.

go to Settings click on search and type emergency alerts
scroll to others click on emergency alerts and toggle allow alerts to off.
I am old and it was easy...

[xx99xx]

jshell said:

You can switch off the alerts, but you can't uninstall the App that many of us didn't ask for. Looking at the permissions, it can connect with local devices. Does that mean other devices on my home network?

So, again, I can switch off the Alerts, but I have an App on my phone, my phone that the authorities can use, if it is activated, to stop me using my phone until I take some action. I don't understand why. I don't understand why it's an App and not a Network wide text message sent to 'all users'.

Now the Tinfoil bit: Does that mean that in principle this App can be used to shutdown the ability to use my phone? In essence, does it potentially have the same functionality as the Social Credit system App in China?

Phones need some software on them to receive the message from the cell towers and display it/sound the noise on the device. I assume it's easier to have the software bundled as an app than some code in the background.

A network wide text message is not as targeted plus it will end up in your 'messages' app where you may not see it for several hours.

The emergency alerts app cannot shutdown your phone. Phone companies/network providers can already remotely wipe devices (individually) but currently, I see no benefit for the government in wanting to do that on a wide scale (plus the networks probably wouldn't agree to it).

[Hill92]

jshell said:

You can switch off the alerts, but you can't uninstall the App that many of us didn't ask for. Looking at the permissions, it can connect with local devices. Does that mean other devices on my home network?

So, again, I can switch off the Alerts, but I have an App on my phone, my phone that the authorities can use, if it is activated, to stop me using my phone until I take some action. I don't understand why. I don't understand why it's an App and not a Network wide text message sent to 'all users'.

Now the Tinfoil bit: Does that mean that in principle this App can be used to shutdown the ability to use my phone? In essence, does it potentially have the same functionality as the Social Credit system App in China?

What app are you talking about? The system is using protocols that have been into iOS/Android globally for more than 5 years.

The permissions to access local devices could be as simple as system-wide permissions that allow all sounds to be played through an already connected Bluetooth device (I.e. when you've told your phone to play sounds through the car speakers) or for the notification to appear on a non-cellular smart watch (again if you have your phone set up to relay notifications to a smartwatch).

The notifications only stop you using your phone in the same sense as low battery notifications do. You just need to actively dismiss the notification unlike basic app notifications that can be passively ignored in the background.

The tinfoil hat stuff is bks. Not least because the Government don't need to go to all the hassle of smart phones to control phones. They've long had legal and illegal methods to do far more with your mobile phone if they want to. Not just turning on the microphone and GPS when your device is apparently off but to use accelerometers and other onboard sensors to learn about the environment around you. GCHQ tap into internet traffic. And if the Government really wanted to control things, they can legally order network operators to restrict or shut down access en-masse (mobile networks in particular have long had the ability to prioritise emergency traffic over other network traffic during busy periods).

[jshell]

Hill92 said:

jshell said:

You can switch off the alerts, but you can't uninstall the App that many of us didn't ask for. Looking at the permissions, it can connect with local devices. Does that mean other devices on my home network?

So, again, I can switch off the Alerts, but I have an App on my phone, my phone that the authorities can use, if it is activated, to stop me using my phone until I take some action. I don't understand why. I don't understand why it's an App and not a Network wide text message sent to 'all users'.

Now the Tinfoil bit: Does that mean that in principle this App can be used to shutdown the ability to use my phone? In essence, does it potentially have the same functionality as the Social Credit system App in China?

What app are you talking about? The system is using protocols that have been into iOS/Android globally for more than 5 years.

The permissions to access local devices could be as simple as system-wide permissions that allow all sounds to be played through an already connected Bluetooth device (I.e. when you've told your phone to play sounds through the car speakers) or for the notification to appear on a non-cellular smart watch (again if you have your phone set up to relay notifications to a smartwatch).

The notifications only stop you using your phone in the same sense as low battery notifications do. You just need to actively dismiss the notification unlike basic app notifications that can be passively ignored in the background.

The tinfoil hat stuff is bks. Not least because the Government don't need to go to all the hassle of smart phones to control phones. They've long had legal and illegal methods to do far more with your mobile phone if they want to. Not just turning on the microphone and GPS when your device is apparently off but to use accelerometers and other onboard sensors to learn about the environment around you. GCHQ tap into internet traffic. And if the Government really wanted to control things, they can legally order network operators to restrict or shut down access en-masse (mobile networks in particular have long had the ability to prioritise emergency traffic over other network traffic during busy periods).

A task specific app has been loaded into phones during the last OS updates. It's an App. You can't uninstall that App. And, yes, I'm curious about the fact that I can't uninstall this App when I don't want/need it. Especially given what you've alread said about the access that the authorities have already.

[Sway]

It's not an app. It's an OS function.

Just like many, many others that get 'installed' through routine updates, that can't be deleted.

Oh, and it's not a recent thing.

[bitchstewie]

I wonder how many people who completely distrust our own Government not to do "something bad" to their phone use the cheapest sttiest no-name Chinese Android phone imaginable.

[monkfish1]

Randy Winkman said:

monkfish1 said:

Dave. said:

monkfish1 said:

Any chance someone can enlighten me on how to turn this meaningless drivel off?

Android phone. Gobe to settings,notifications. Im not seeing anything relevant?

Just search settings for emergency alerts

Who knew you could search in settings!

Anyway, i did, but theres no option to turn it off, just change the length and turn on / off vibrate.

Whilst I might well end up turning it off, aren't you interested to find out a bit about how it actually gets used initially? I certainly am and wouldn't dream of turning it off to start with. By the way, I do appreciate you didn't say you were going to switch it off today.

No, not remotely interested.

I need more government interference in my life like a hole in the head.

I suspect its to keep us fearful maybe? Who knows.

Of course, what will happen is there will be some event that doesnt have a warning. Then someone will get injured or die because of said event. Then it will be the governments fault. Then they will issure warnings for everything and it will descend ito a farce which everyone will ignore. How they cant see this i dont know.

Meanwhile, i still cant figure out how to turn it off. Looks like a trip to the phone shop to find a clever person.

[Sway]

bhstewie said:

I wonder how many people who completely distrust our own Government not to do "something bad" to their phone use the cheapest sttiest no-name Chinese Android phone imaginable.

The bit I find amusing is I'm familiar with this system in use (and never heard a hint of tinfoil) in the nation that feels it must allow it's citizens guns in case they need to overthrow their government...

[xx99xx]

monkfish1 said:

No, not remotely interested.

I need more government interference in my life like a hole in the head.

I suspect its to keep us fearful maybe? Who knows.

Of course, what will happen is there will be some event that doesnt have a warning. Then someone will get injured or die because of said event. Then it will be the governments fault. Then they will issure warnings for everything and it will descend ito a farce which everyone will ignore. How they cant see this i dont know.

Meanwhile, i still cant figure out how to turn it off. Looks like a trip to the phone shop to find a clever person.

The authorities who are authorised to use the system are very nervous of false alarms and will be extremely conscious of using it due to the backlash it will get. Mainly from people who ultimately weren't affected by the potential emergency who like to complain about intrusion.

It will therefore not be used lightly, at least initially, as noone wants the badge of being the first one to cause mass unnecessary distress. The public awareness campaign is therefore trying to manage expectations so hopefully when/if an alert does pop up, people are not flummoxed and start complaining of spam. It'll still happen though.

[768]

bhstewie said:

I wonder how many people who completely distrust our own Government not to do "something bad" to their phone use the cheapest sttiest no-name Chinese Android phone imaginable.

My enemy's enemy is my friend.

[surveyor]

Clearly, PH tin foil hats are frothing. I do wonder what the non-techy people who can just about make a call will make of the test...