False alert scares millions of people in several regions of the country The false alerts sent to mobile phones of residents in various cities across Brazil in the early hours of Saturday (20) did not follow the operational pattern of the government's transmission tool called "Defesa Civil Alerta". According to the Ministry of Integration and Regional Development, the system was created to function even with devices turned off.
However, there were reports of people who had their phones on, off, or on silent mode and the alert did not sound. According to the ministry, the behavior of the false alerts was "out of pattern because it was an unauthorized activation". The messages sent in at least seven states were of the Extreme Alert type and contained the word "misantropia" (misanthropy) or variations.
Misanthropy means aversion to or rejection of humanity. Civil Defense Alert with the word "misantropia" sounded on the phones of residents in Campo Grande. Reproduction The Federal Police has opened a preliminary investigation to investigate the case. According to the PF, the procedure is already underway.
The national secretary of Protection and Civil Defense, Wolnei Wolff, stated that "everything indicates it was a hacker attack". Defesa Civil Alerta Defesa Civil Alerta is an emergency notification tool from the federal government, coordinated by the National Civil Defense and the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel), and executed by mobile service providers. According to the government, the system sends text messages and audio warnings to mobile phones in high-risk areas without the need for prior registration.
The alerts appear prominently on the screen and can sound even on devices in silent mode. "Any citizen, regardless of their area code, who is in a municipality with a disaster forecast, will be able to receive it.
The tool is free and reaches compatible mobile phones (Android and iOS released from 2020 onwards) with mobile coverage using 4G or 5G technology. The feature does not depend on a data plan and works whether the user is connected to Wi-Fi or not", explains the Ministry of Integration and Regional Development. According to Secretary Wolnei Wolff, 10 false alerts were sent in the early hours of Saturday (20), but it is not possible at the moment to estimate how many phones the notifications sounded on.
There were 9 alerts via the Cell Broadcast system and 1 via the SMS messaging system. The notification is part of the "Extreme Alert" category, the most serious level of the system. It is used when the Civil Defense identifies threats with imminent risk to life, requiring the population to seek protection immediately. In addition to the extreme alert, the system includes the "Severe Alert", a lower urgency classification.
In these cases, the population has more time to adopt protective measures, according to the Civil Defense. How the two types of alerts issued by the Civil Defense act: 🟠 Severe alert: in addition to the text, it emits a "beep" on the smartphone, but only sounds if the device is not in silent mode. 🔴 Extreme alert: triggers an audio signal similar to a siren, in addition to the text message. The sound is activated even if the phone is in silent mode. Map of the regions that received alerts from the National Civil Defense Gabriel Wesley Marques Santos/Arte g1.
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