Am I being paranoid or is the fact the government have just set up an emergency alert system...

[BeaAggressiv]

Really freaky?!

Do they expect it to be needed? Why now, is it because of Putin?

I'm not usually alarmist but this has freaked me out.

A warning alert to your phone with a siren?!

I have an i-phone and they can be switched off. Go to settings/notifications and they appear as 'severe alerts' and 'emergency alerts' and can be toggled off.

The only alert I want to get is one to let me know there’s a Tory in the vicinity. An alarm that goes off when you are within two feet of one of the fuckers would be very useful.

Oh great. Thanks @PlateBilledDuckyPerson

I get an automated call from the Environment Agency every time there is a flood alert in our area because we're in a flood zone.

Mind you I then spend the rest of the day checking river levels which I suppose is kind of the point of it.😀

I haven't really been following this. Does this mean that everyone's phone will start making a siren noise at once. That will be really weird.

It’s not an invasion of civil liberties. It’s not aimed directly at you. It is the modern equivalent of breaking news on the tv. God I remember someone on here in early pandemic days when we were getting updates from govt on our phones getting upset bc the govt had her number. 🤔

And what are you doing? 🤨😜

Mine is theoretically turned off. I guess I’ll find out on the 23rd

To the PPs who suggested that smartphones are a choice, they really aren’t now in a society that’s rushing towards cashless. There are car parks locally where pay by app is the only option.

I’d love a phone that was just a phone with no text or any other features. Not practical though sadly

I'm quite aware that it's not aimed at me. I'm angry at the lack of choice. I'm not allowed to opt out (as I have done with other things). I was given no choice. That impacts on my liberty.
I think the App is probably a good idea and most people seem happy to have it. I thought the covid vaccinations were quite a good idea, as are trade unions. I just disagree that these things should be compulsory. That's what I'm angry at, not getting a notification text/alarm.
As long as its comfortable it feels like freedom.

my relative lives in Hawaii and a few years ago, received this emergency text; which turned out to be a clerical error!!!

BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND TO HAWAII. SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER. THIS
IS NOT A DRILL

Lawful activity....of course

Yeah I got them in the US for hurricanes and tornadoes in 2018/2019? So it’s only “new” to the UK.

😂 so so true

My mum was going on about this today - we all got texts about covid?? Why is this a big deal?

I've switched mine off. Tsunamis and wild fires aren't a regular occurrence in SE England, and if Putin decides to chuck a bomb at us I'd rather not have 6 minutes knowing it's coming.

What model have you got? With my Samsung (which is a 2019 model), I just go to Settings - Notifications - Advanced Settings - Wireless emergency alerts and then you can switch them off.

Except it won't just be a ping.

Maybe for the test we won't have to acknowledge it but for the real thing we will.

Yes, you can switch the alerts off, which is essentially the same as switching your ringer off....however you cannot disable the App....and the government can (and sayvthey shall be) override this.
I don't want the app at all. It cannot be disabled.

😂😂😂😂😂😂

@amylou8

the SE is a big area, I like very close to a common that has frequent fires (usually lit by little oinks). It'll save the fire brigade knocking door to door at 2am

So everyone will have to stop driving or put up with that racket while driving along, I've switched mine off

they didn't have a siren blaring away, and were just quietly annoying like the ones from the GP surgery

I work in the Thames valley and the system was tested last spring - my phone didn't ring. We were in the USA last summer and our standard UK phones went off to alert us to a forest fire nearby. Nothing to worry about.

Why ? If there was a flood or a fire you can still ignore it if you want ? What liberties are being taken away by warning you of a potential crisis ?

It’s 10 seconds ? Why the worry ?

Can you put your phone on airplane mode for 5 minutes at 2.59 for those that don't want their phones fully turned off or that can't disable the alert?