Fake earthquake apps threaten security in Turkey!

Fake earthquake apps threaten security in Turkey!

Fake earthquake early warning apps circulating in Turkey, which have appeared after a youngest earthquake in Istanbul. These illegal applications are not only a danger to the digital security of users, but could also falsify vital information. The head of the Cyber ​​Security Commission of the Turkish Collaborative Association Tüvefed, Muharrem Baki, urges the increasing spread of such apps. Criminals use the great demand for precise information to spread the apps and thus steal personal data from users, which harbors further safety risks. The ability of these applications are particularly alarming to infect phones with malware.

The earthquake in Istanbul, which led to over 200 injuries, has tense the situation. In the midst of this emergency, many people tend to blindly trust fake warning messages. Baki emphasizes that serious earthquake early warning systems use special technologies that are not available across the board in Turkey. In contrast to countries such as the USA or Japan, there is no state earthquake warning system that works reliably.

How early warning systems

The functional technology behind serious earthquake warnings is based on acceleration sensors that are integrated in many smartphones. These sensors can measure seismic waves. As soon as several devices register in a region, a warning signal is sent to the users. Google has pre-installed such a system in its Android devices that reaches 80 percent of the population in Turkey. On February 6, 2023, when an earthquake of strength 7.8 shook the region, hardly any people received a warning in many places, which led to serious doubts about the efficiency of the system.

A BBC examination found that despite Google's claims to have sent millions of warnings, there are little tangible evidence of this. A Turkish earthquake expert expressed concerns about the functioning of the system, especially during the critical time of the earthquake.

research on the earthquake forecast

The scientific community agreed that precisely earthquake forecasts are currently impossible. The earthquake researcher Torsten Dahm explains that there are no reliable forerunner phenomena for strong earthquakes. Current early warning systems can recognize primary waves that arrive faster than the destructive secondary waves, but only use very limited extent to create time for evacuation. Elsewhere, such as in Mexico, Japan and the US west coast, early warning systems have now been established. In Turkey, however, the lack of a comprehensive state system remains a serious problem.

BAKI advises users to keep caution when choosing apps with warnings. In particular, authorizations should be thoroughly checked to ensure that no sensitive data is collected without necessity. Location and notification functions should be activated, but without superfluous authorizations.

The combination of progress in research, new technologies and must seriously address the dangers that work out of fake warnings in order to ensure both information security and the protection of the population.