The false alert Saturday morning that a ballistic missile was heading towards Hawaii was sent to phones through a system that involves multiple government agencies and wireless carriers.
What happened in Hawaii is the highest-profile error in recent memory involving a national system that has drawn controversy in the past. The Federal Communications Commission said Saturday it would investigate the false alert, which Sen. Brian Schatz tweeted was "based on a human error."
This is not the first controversy around the wireless alerts system. Officials in California drew attention this week when they waited to send an alert related to fatal mudslides. And in 2016 New York City officials sent an alert with the name of a bombing suspect, which some said could encourage racial profiling.
The FCC will vote later this month on changes to the technical aspects of the alert system — including tighter geographic targeting for alerts — with the alerts system under greater scrutiny. "What happened today is totally inexcusable," Schatz said Saturday. "There needs to be tough and quick accountability and a fixed process."
