Google failed to warn 10M of Turkey earthquake

Summary

Google failed to warn 10 million of Turkey earthquakeJames Clayton, Anna Foster and Ben DericoBBC NewsEPAGoogle has admitted its earthquake early warning system failed to accurately alert people during Turkey's deadly quake of 2023.Ten million people within 98 miles of the epicentre could have been sent Google's highest level alert - giving up to 35 seconds of warning to find safety. Instead, only 469 "Take Action" warnings were sent out for the first 7.8 magnitude quake.Google told the BBC half a million people were sent a lower level warning, which is designed for "light shaking", and does not alert users in the same prominent way.The tech giant previously told the BBC the system had "performed well".The system works on Android devices, which make up more than 70% of the phones in Turkey.More than 55,000 people died when two major earthquakes hit South East Turkey on 6 February 2023, more than 100,000 were injured. Many were asleep in buildings that collapsed around them when the tremors hit.Google's early warning system was in place and live on the day of the quakes – however it underestimated how strong the earthquakes were."We continue to improve the system based on what we learn in each earthquake", a Google spokesperson said.How it worksGoogle's system, named Android Earthquake Alerts (AEA), is able to detect shaking from a vast number of mobile phones that use the Android operating system.Because earthquakes move relatively slowly through the earth, a warning can then be sent out.Google's most serious warning is called "Take Action", which sets off a loud alarm on a user's phone - overriding a Do Not Disturb setting - and covering their screen.This is the warning that is supposed to be sent to people when stronger shaking is detected that could threaten human life.AEA also has a less serious "Be Aware" warning, designed to inform users of potential lighter shaking - a warning that does not override a device on Do Not Disturb.The Take Action alert was especia...