Google has had a system for earthquake alerts through Android smartphones since 2020. The working technique involves crowdsourcing data of tremors from the accelerometers in numerous smartphones worldwide. In the past, it has been used to notify about earthquakes in the Philippines in 2021 before other alert systems.
However, recently users in Sao Paolo, Brazil, received an erroneous earthquake alert around midnight. It was a false alarm, with no actual earthquake occurring. This marks the first time Google’s alert system has malfunctioned.
Google has issued an apology for this incident and stated that they have temporarily shut down this system. The reasons for the false alerts are currently under investigation.
Source: CNN Brasil, 9to5google
TLDR: Google’s earthquake alert system on Android smartphones malfunctioned in Sao Paolo, Brazil, leading to a false alarm and subsequent temporary shutdown for investigation.
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