FCC updates emergency alerts to avoid 2018 false alert fiasco

The Federal Communications Commission is refreshing its text alert system, combining two types of alerts into a single 'National Alerts' category for iPhones and other Wireless Emergency Alert-supporting devices, as well as introducing checks to prevent false alerts from being made.The FCC issued a Report and Order on Thursday in response to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021, which required it to work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to make rules to 'strengthen emergency alerting.'As part of the change, the existing 'Presidential Alerts' category that was introduced in 2018 will be combined with alerts from FEMA, in a new category titled 'National Alerts,' according to The Verge. The category will continue to be a 'non-optional alert class' that will appear on all WEA-supporting mobile devices, such as iPhones. Read more...