Google Acknowledges Shortcomings in Turkey Earthquake Phone Alerts

Google Acknowledges Shortcomings in Turkey Earthquake Phone Alerts
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Google has admitted that its earthquake early-warning system failed to accurately convey the severity of the devastating 2023 earthquake in Turkey, Arab News revealed citing a BBC report.

The Android Earthquake Alerts (AEA) system underestimated the quake’s magnitude, resulting in far fewer urgent warnings than necessary.

Had the software functioned correctly, up to 10 million people within 98 miles of the epicenter could have received maximum-level alerts, giving them up to 35 seconds to seek safety. Instead, only 469 urgent “take action” alerts were sent before the initial 7.8-magnitude quake, while about 500,000 people received lower-level notifications warning of “light shaking,” which do not override phone silent or do-not-disturb modes.

Google previously maintained that the system had performed well during the disaster, but the BBC’s recent investigation revealed the full extent of the software’s failure. AEA, which operates in nearly 100 countries and serves as a global safety net on Android devices, detected the quake’s strength as between 4.5 and 4.9 magnitude instead of the actual 7.8.

The February 2023 earthquake in southeastern Turkey resulted in over 55,000 deaths and more than 100,000 injuries. Google acknowledged ongoing efforts to improve the system, citing challenges in tuning detection algorithms for large-magnitude events. Experts expressed frustration over the delay in uncovering these issues, emphasizing the critical need for reliable early warnings in life-threatening situations.