Penny Mordaunt, the Tory MP for Portsmouth North, said the text alert system would be a “vital tool in helping us to better respond to emergencies”.
The Cabinet Office minister added it will “allow us to more quickly and effectively get life-saving messages to people”.
The alert system could be used to send messages about public health emergencies as well as industrial incidents and terror attacks.
Cell broadcasting technology will be used to create the alert system which makes sure alerts are “secure, free to receive, and one-way”.
The Cabinet Office added that the system does not use people’s telephone numbers, instead sending alerts out to anyone in a specific area.
The Government also revealed the alerts “do not reveal your location and do not collect any personal data. Alerts can also only be sent by authorised governmental and emergency services users”.
Published at Mon, 17 May 2021 16:12:00 +0000
Messages you REALLY can’t ignore: UK Government trials new text warning system
