Federal Government To Take Over Alabama Smartphones In October

As if people in Alabama already didn't have enough to work about with football and the up and down weather, the federal government is adding to the list. It seems that no matter where you go in Alabama, the government will be able to reach you through that one thing that almost every never leave behind. Your smartphone.

Get our free mobile app

Even though some are worried about the government having access to their smartphones on a particular date this coming October, you may be already letting others "into your business" through your smart devices.

Have you ever had a situation where you were talking with someone about a certain product, or destination, or even meal you wanted to cook and 2 minutes later you're surfing the web and that thing pops up as an ad?

The truth is, you're literally giving companies access to your microphone on your smart devices and they may or may not be listening to your conversations.

Before you call the authorities, know that this is perfectly legal but you can also stop it by changing the settings in your phone and also opting for certain apps and sites to not track information when prompted.

The answer to the question many Alabamians would like to know, when and why is the governamt taking over our phones in October.

It's not a "take over" as in hijacking your phones or an act to gather all of your information to control you in some sinister act. It's going to be more of an attention grabber in an effort to keep you safe.

On October 4th, the government will be conducting a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System. The national test will consist of two portions, testing WEA and EAS capabilities. Both tests are scheduled to begin at approximately 2:20 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Oct. 4.

This test is done every year nationally just to ensure that the emergency alert system is working as it should in case of real emergencies.

According to FEMA, all wireless phones should receive the message only once. The following can be expected from the nationwide WEA test:

• Beginning at approximately 2:20 p.m. ET, cell towers will broadcast the test for approximately 30 minutes. During this time, WEA-compatible wireless phones that are switched on, within range of an active cell tower, and whose wireless provider participates in WEA, should be capable of receiving the test message.
• For consumers, the message that appears on their phones will read: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”
• Phones with the main menu set to Spanish will display: “ESTA ES UNA PRUEBA del Sistema Nacional de Alerta de Emergencia. No se necesita acción.”

This isn't something to make you frightened or nervous. This test is simply to ensure the Emergency alert system and wireless emergency alerts are working properly.