Upcoming Government emergency alert test ‘may endanger domestic abuse victims’
Charities are worried the alert will expose domestic abuse victims with secret phones.
This month’s emergency alert test could put domestic abuse victims in danger, charities have warned.
A loud alarm will set off on most phones in the UK to test the Government’s new broadcast system at 3pm on April 23.
The signal will be used for authorities to communicate with the public about life-threatening events, such as extreme floods, wildfires or terrorism.
But the alert will go off whether a phone is on silent or not and this may put domestic abuse victims with secret emergency handsets at risk.
Several charities, including Refuge and the National Centre for Domestic Violence, have flagged this to the Government and urged people living with abusers to disable the alerts or switch their phones off completely.
Refuge’s senior operations tech abuse manager, Emma Pickering, told The Times they want the Government to raise more awareness about how to disable the feature so people in danger have enough time to see it.
She said: ‘Our concerns are centred on the very real risk to survivors of domestic abuse who may have secret or secondary phones hidden within the home, which they must ensure are not discovered by their perpetrators.
‘These devices can be a lifeline for women who need to access support or flee their abuser.’
How to opt out of emergency alerts:
- Search your settings for ‘emergency alerts’
- Turn off ‘severe alerts’ and ‘extreme alerts.’
You will also not receive an alert if:
- Your phone is turned off or in airplane mode
- You’re connected to a 2G or 3G network
- You’re using Wi-Fi only (so not connected to a network)
Emergency alerts will be sent to all compatible 4G and 5G mobile phones or tablets within an area of risk.
They don’t track your location, need your phone number, or collect personal data.
When it goes off, expect your mobile phone or tablet to make a loud siren-like sound, even if it’s set on silent, vibrate, read out the alert.
The sound and vibration will last for about 10 seconds. The alert looks and sounds different to other types of messages such as SMS text messages.
The April 23 alert will read:
This is a test of Emergency Alerts, a new UK government service that will warn you if there’s a life-threatening emergency nearby.
In an actual emergency, follow the instructions in the alert to keep yourself and others safe.
Visit gov.uk/alerts for more information.
You’ll know it’s an Emergency Alert because you’ll hear a loud, siren-like sound and your phone will use a distinct vibration. A message will appear on your screen until you acknowledge it.
The alert will also include a phone number or a link to the GOV.UK website for more information.
You’ll get alerts based on your current location – not where you live or work. You do not need to turn on location services to receive alerts.
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