Emergency alert test will not hang up your phone call or 'breach GPDR' - five online myths debunked

On Sunday, April 23, an emergency alert test notification will be sent to all phones compatible with 4G and 5G in the UK. It's part of the government testing out a new system that will alert the public to potentially life-endangering threats in their vicinity.

Sunday's test will see people receive a notification on their mobile, accompanied by a loud siren sound, at 3pm. The alert will notify users that the system is being tested and ask them to acknowledge the message before continuing to use their phone.

Ahead of the test, the government has been sharing information about the system to ensure the public know what will happen on the day of the test. However, according to Full Fact, misinformation about the alerts has been spreading online, leading to some people turning off the alerts.

READ MORE: Drivers warned not to touch phones during emergency alert test as they face £200 fine for breaking law

People have the option of opting out of the service, but the government are encouraging people to keep them on so that the system can be used effectively in the future - when it will be used to warn the public about things such as floods and wildfires.

Full Fact's Pippa Allen-Kinross, news and online editor at the fact-checking charity, said: “We have seen multiple instances in which bad information about the emergency alert has already been shared thousands of times online. Be careful what you share on social media. Misinformation about this alert may lead to unnecessary alarm, and in some instances, may even cause people to opt out of future alerts (as many online have claimed they already have) based on incorrect information."

The charity has outlined five claims about the alerts that they have proven to be false -