Google alert failed to warn people of earthquake

Google's earthquake warning system failed to get to many Turkish residents before February's deadly tremor, the leading British public service broadcaster BBC has reported.

Google says its alert system can give users up to a minute's notice on their phones before an earthquake hits.

It says its alert was sent to millions before the first, biggest quake. However, speaking to hundreds of people in three cities in the earthquake zone - Adana, Hatay and Osmaniye - the BBC reported that it didn't find anyone who had received a warning.

The system works on Android phones, which make up about 80 percent of the phones in Türkiye.

Google's product lead on the system, Micah Berman, insisted it had worked. "We are confident that this system fired and sent alerts," he told the BBC. However, the company did not provide evidence that these alerts were widely received.

More than 50,000 people died in Feb. 6 earthquakes. After the first major earthquake struck in the early hours of the morning, another major tremor shook the surrounding area at lunchtime.

Google's alert system was announced in Türkiye in June 2021. The system is operational in dozens of countries around the world. The company describes the ability to send quake alerts as a "core" part of its Android service.

It works by using Android's vast network of phones. Smartphones contain tiny accelerometers that can detect shaking. When many phones shake at the same time, Google can pinpoint the epicenter and estimate the strength of a quake.