22/04/2023
The BBC News Channel reports that some charities, including those working with people who experience domestic violence, say that some people could in theory be put at risk by the UK government's test of the Emergency Communications System on Sunday April 23rd at 15:00 (3pm British Time). This could also impact those LGBTQIA people who are affected by domestic violence, or who maintain a secret phone if they are not out.
The government says it has been engaging with the organisations to ensure vulnerable people were not adversely affected. Anti-violence charity Refuge has produced a video showing how to turn off the alerts. Here is their guidance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2MBcHwmiy8
Privacy campaigners, which include a number of LGBTQIA organisations, have also criticised the government's system, noting that the fact that broadcasts to your phone demonstrate that the state can track mobile phones and in theory keep "tabs" on people's movements.
Some other countries however, do already operate Emergency Broadcasts to phones. These include the US and the Netherlands.
