Cuba false earthquake alert investigation points to mobile network

A false earthquake alert sent to mobile devices across Cuba on August 18 has caused widespread alarm and prompted investigations into its origin. The notification, which appeared on phones and tablets in multiple provinces including Havana, Matanzas, and Santiago de Cuba, led to improvised evacuations in homes and workplaces.

Google has officially denied responsibility, stating that its Android Earthquake Alerts System did not detect any seismic activity or issue warnings in Cuba. While initial theories suggested the Android system was at fault, investigations by the state magazine Juventud Técnica suggest the alert may have been distributed via Cell Broadcast technology through the mobile network operator Etecsa.

Dr. Enrique Diego Arango Arias, head of the National Seismological Service, expressed concern regarding the lack of accountability and the potential for future warnings to be ignored if the public loses trust. The National Center for Seismological Research and the United States Geological Survey both confirmed that no seismic events occurred that would justify such an alert.