LONDON: Google has admitted that its early-warning system for earthquakes failed to correctly report the severity of Turkiye’s deadly 2023 earthquake to users, the BBC reported on Monday.
Had the Android software reported the information accurately, at least 10 million people within 98 miles of the epicenter could have been sent a maximum-level alert, giving them up to 35 seconds to find safety.
However, just 469 urgent “take action” warnings were sent ahead of the first 7.8-magnitude earthquake, with at least 500,000 people receiving a lower-level warning.
The lesser message only warns recipients of “light shaking” and does not override the do-not-disturb setting on phones.
The US tech giant previously told the BBC that its warning system had “performed well” during the disaster.
