Victims of domestic abuse could be at risk during this weekend’s emergency alert test across the UK, campaigners have warned.
At 3pm on Sunday 7 September, the government will carry out a test of the system, causing phones on 4G and 5G networks to vibrate, emit a siren for up to 10 seconds and display a message confirming it is a test.
In its second-ever nationwide drill, the alert system will see about 87 million devices vibrating and ringing out. The system is there to warn if there is a danger to life nearby and has already been used for storms, flooding, and in one case, when an unexploded Second World War bomb was discovered.
Pat McFadden, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said the test would help “keep the country safe 24 hours a day, 365 days a year”, but not everyone agrees.
Why does the emergency alert put some people at risk?
There are concerns that the alert could reveal hidden phones belonging to victims of domestic abuse.
Domestic violence charities have raised concerns about the alerts potentially putting victims at risk by alerting abusers to a victim’s hidden or second phone.
Emma Pickering, of charity Refuge, said: “During the initial roll-out of the government’s emergency alert system, Refuge expressed concerns about how the alerts could indirectly impact survivors who have hidden devices by making their abuser aware of the device.
The first nationwide test was carried out in April 2023. (Alamy)
“We know that having a hidden device that can be used to access support without fear of being tracked can offer a lifeline for many survivors.”
A spokesperson for women’s aid charity Solace said: “These alerts may put domestic abuse survivors at risk, if they are concealing devices from perpetrators.
“Survivors may hide devices because they use them to seek and receive support, or to seek employment to increase their financial independence.”
How to turn off the emergency alert
How to disable the emergency alert depends on your device, the government says.
iPhone
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Go to your settings and select the ‘notifications’ menu.
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Turn off “severe alerts” and “extreme alerts”.
Android
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Search your settings for “emergency alerts”.
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Turn off “severe alerts” and “extreme alerts”.
Other mobile phones and tablets
Depending on your phone’s manufacturer and software version, emergency alert settings may be called different names, such as “wireless emergency alerts” or “emergency broadcasts”, the government says.
The relevant settings can usually be found in one of the following ways:
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Go to “message”, then “message settings”, then “wireless emergency alerts”, then “alert”.
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Go to “settings”, then “sounds”, then “advanced”, then “emergency broadcasts”.
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Go to “settings”, then “general settings”, then “emergency alerts”.
Once you’ve followed one of the above three methods, turn off “severe alerts”, “extreme alerts” and “test alerts”.
There is also a step-by-step guide here on Refuge’s YouTube channel and a “secure your tech” guide here on the charity’s website.
The government also offers a guide on how to opt out of “operator test alerts”, which are carried out by the mobile network operators and the government to assess improvements made to the emergency alerts service.
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