WASHINGTON—The Federal Communications Commission has updated its rules to provide alert originators with the flexibility to send silent Wireless Emergency Alerts, which the agency said would better protect the public in some situations and reduce “alert fatigue.”
The Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FCC 25-14) was adopted by a unanimous vote by the FCC chair and commissioners at the agency’s Feb. open meeting on Feb. 27.
The vote ensures “that alert originators have more choices when they decide to send out alerts,” FCC chair Brendan Carr said. “Specifically, today’s decision lets alert originators and emergency managers on the ground decide whether to send an alert with or without a loud signal, depending on their judgment and expertise. In addition, today’s item gives consumers more choice and flexibility over the way they receive the alerts, which will reduce consumer opt-out and increase public safety by ensuring that consumers continue to receive them.
Wireless Emergency Alerts are used to warn the public about dangerous weather, missing children, and other critical situations through alerts on compatible cell phones and other mobile devices, the FCC said.
The FCC noted that to grab consumers’ attention, these alerts are accompanied by a distinctive sound and vibration. The notifications may be unexpected and jarring at times, causing some consumers to opt out from receiving future alerts. In addition, in some situations, such as during an active shooting, the loud “attention signal” may put a consumer in greater danger.
The FCC said that to address these issues, the FCC will require wireless providers that participate in Wireless Emergency Alerts to enable alert originators to send alerts that do not trigger the audio attention signal, vibration cadence, or both. At the same time, to ensure accessibility, consumers will have the option to override suppression of the vibration cadence so that they can continue to be notified of alerts this way.
The FCC also reported that the action promotes informed consumer choice by requiring devices marketed as “WEA-capable” to support all the required Wireless Emergency Alerts capabilities, including device-based geotargeting, 360-character alerts, embedded references, and silent alerts—not just a subset of these capabilities that varies by device or provider.
In addition, in an accompanying Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, the Commission will seek comment on additional ways to reduce the number of consumers opting out of Wireless Emergency Alerts, including by providing the public with greater flexibility in how the alerts are presented on their phones.
