Google has acknowledged that its Android-based earthquake warning system failed to deliver timely alerts to millions during the deadly 2023 earthquakes in Turkey. Just 469 "Take Action" alerts—the system's highest-level warning designed to override a Do Not Disturb setting and wake users—were sent out ahead of the initial 7.8-magnitude quake, which struck at 4:17am on Feb. 6, 2023. Yet up to 10 million people within 98 miles of the epicenter could have received the life-saving warnings up to 35 seconds in advance, the BBC reports. Instead, most received only a lower-level "Be Aware" alert, which does not sound an alarm or override Do Not Disturb settings. More than 55,000 people died in the quakes, many while asleep as buildings collapsed.
Google initially claimed its system "performed well." But the BBC struggled to find anyone who received a "Take Action" alert. Google's internal review found the system drastically underestimated the first earthquake's severity, rating it as a magnitude 4.5 to 4.9 instead of the actual 7.8. The company has since updated its detection algorithm, and in simulations, the improved system would have sent 10 million urgent alerts for the same event. While Google says its Android Earthquake Alerts system is meant to supplement, not replace, national warning systems, some experts warn that overreliance on unproven tech could be risky. Researchers and critics also note it took more than two years for Google to fully disclose what went wrong, raising concerns about transparency. The company says it continues to refine the system, now operating in 98 countries.
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