Current:Home > reviewsAn Android update is causing "thousands" of false calls to 911, Minnesota says -NextFrontier Finance
An Android update is causing "thousands" of false calls to 911, Minnesota says
View
Date:2025-04-21 07:02:24
Minnesota's top prosecutor is urging Google to fix a software update on its cellphones that has led to device-users unintentionally dialing 911.
The state has roughly 100 centers that handle 911 operations and most of them have been buried in accidental emergency calls this month, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said Thursday. Ellison blamed the increased calls on an update to Google's Emergency SOS feature, which allows users to instantly dial 911. The issue is causing added stress to already understaffed 911 centers and Google should resolve it immediately, Ellison said in a letter to Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai.
"The city of Minneapolis reports that it is receiving thousands of additional inadvertent calls each month to its 911 center," Ellison wrote in the letter. "Anoka County states it has experienced a significant spike in calls and is now fielding hundreds of inadvertent calls each day. Greater Minnesota, where the call centers are smaller, are also being inundated with inadvertent calls."
Some 911 dispatchers started noticing the uptick in accidental calls in the first week of June, CBS Minnesota reported.
Happening in Europe, too
The U.S. state isn't the only area dealing with accidental calls attributed to the new software. Police departments in Scotland and England are also blaming the update on a record number of 999 (the U.K.'s version of 911) calls in recent weeks, the BBC reported.
In some cases, 911 centers are getting calls from Android phone users who didn't know they had activated the Emergency SOS feature, Ellison said. He noted a recent instance in Benton County where a cellphone dialed 911 repeatedly and the dispatcher answered but no one was on the line. The dispatcher hung up and tried to call the user back but wasn't successful, Ellison said.
"It was later discovered a motorcyclist stored their wireless phone equipped with Google's Android mobile operating system in the saddle bag of their motorcycle and had no idea the Emergency SOS function was triggered and repeatedly calling 911," he said in the letter.
Redial the dispatcher, please
Ellison is also asking Minnesotans who noticed that their phone accidentally called 911 to redial the dispatcher and say it was a mistake. Otherwise, dispatchers will treat the call as an actual emergency and law enforcement could be sent to the phone's location.
The Emergency SOS feature debuted in 2021 on Google's Pixel cellphone and was later added to other Android-powered devices not made by Google. After the update, users can activate Emergency SOS by pressing the side button three times. Users have the option of turning off the feature in their phone's setting menu.
Alphabet, Google's parent company, didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
A Google spokesperson told the BBC that mobile phone makers that offer the Emergency SOS must manage how that feature works on their respective devices.
"To help these manufacturers prevent unintentional emergency calls on their devices, Android is providing them with additional guidance and resources," the spokesperson said. "We anticipate device manufacturers will roll out updates to their users that address this issue shortly. Users that continue to experience this issue should switch Emergency SOS off for the next couple of days."
Khristopher J. BrooksKhristopher J. Brooks is a reporter for CBS MoneyWatch covering business, consumer and financial stories that range from economic inequality and housing issues to bankruptcies and the business of sports.
TwitterveryGood! (15)
Related
- Pressure on a veteran and senator shows what’s next for those who oppose Trump
- Hayley Erbert Returns to DWTS Alongside Husband Derek Hough After Near-Fatal Medical Emergency
- Lonzo Ball makes triumphant return for first NBA game since Jan. 2022
- Abortion isn’t on the ballot in California, but state candidates can’t stop talking about it
- What to know about Tuesday’s US House primaries to replace Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz
- Unions face a moment of truth in Michigan in this year’s presidential race
- Are chickpeas healthy? How they and other legumes can boost your health.
- 'Diablo wind' in California could spark fires, lead to power shutdown for 30,000
- Romantasy reigns on spicy BookTok: Recommendations from the internet’s favorite genre
- 'Diablo wind' in California could spark fires, lead to power shutdown for 30,000
Ranking
- Nevada attorney general revives 2020 fake electors case
- Ryan Murphy Reveals Taylor Swift Easter Egg in Travis Kelce Grostequerie Scene
- San Jose State volleyball at the center of another decision on forfeiting
- FEMA resumes door-to-door visits in North Carolina after threats tied to disinformation
- NHL in ASL returns, delivering American Sign Language analysis for Deaf community at Winter Classic
- Grey's Anatomy Alum Sarah Drew Slams Mean and Unjust Firing From Show
- See Cher, Olivia Culpo and More Stars Attending the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2024
- Tennessee Titans expected to release veteran Jamal Adams, per report
Recommendation
'Survivor' 47 finale, part one recap: 2 players were sent home. Who's left in the game?
Co-founder of cosmetics company manifests Taylor Swift wearing her product
Feds: Cyber masterminds targeted FBI, CNN, Hulu, Netflix, Microsoft, X in global plot
Idaho will begin using deep veins as backup for lethal injection executions, officials say
Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
Arizona counties won’t be forced to do citizenship checks before the election, a judge rules
‘Anora’ might be the movie of the year. Sean Baker hopes it changes some things
Cozy Up With Sydney Sweeney & HEYDUDE's All-New, Super Soft Slipper Collection