Apple iOS 6 to offer a "Government Alert" function

Saw this earlier...

www.infowars.com...

Pretty creepy stuff. Basically Apple will have a built-in Push Notification feature for "Government Alerts".

Watch, this will turn to propaganda alerts in no time.

"Obama saves world" pushed to my phone


---source? www.whitehouse.gov

I don't get how that is creepy ... the government already has the ability to push alerts to our tv .. and radio .. mobile is useful.. you can always ignore it .. information isn't a problem... I don't get why you wouldn't WANT to see the alert.. even if you're paranoid, seems you'd want to know .. you'd just read it here moments later..

reply to post by miniatus


Of course they have the ability to. But have you ever received a government message before?

What I find creepy is a government that wants to push notifications to my phone.

This isn't your local sheriff's office. I wouldn't see any issue with an app for that. But this is the federal government. What are they going to tell me AP or CNN can't? Nothing.

Originally posted by KnawLick
reply to post by miniatus

 

Of course they have the ability to. But have you ever received a government message before?

What I find creepy is a government that wants to push notifications to my phone.

This isn't your local sheriff's office. I wouldn't see any issue with an app for that. But this is the federal government. What are they going to tell me AP or CNN can't? Nothing.

Sending push notifications is harmless unless you have absolutely no self control at all .. if you can't see a notification and judge it subjectively you probably shouldn't own a smart phone because you probably also buy anything that commercials try to sell to you .. my point is it's harmless.. and it's established that it doesn't cost you bandwidth.. so I personally don't care.. I think it's useful .. and besides like I said, you'd find it posted here immediately ANYWAY.. you're going to see it ... why worry about it?

reply to post by miniatus


I'm not "worried" about it. We are mature enough to consider the source is what your saying? Well I agree.

... I just don't want white house talk points beemed to my phone eventually.

I'm addressing it from an annoyance factor, it will only be optional for so long.

Maintain your frame of mind .. judge information as it comes, don't take it at face value.. do your research.. you'll go far in the world.. but if the day comes that your cell warns you a nuke is inbound and you ignore it because it's a govt push notification and you fry.. don't blame me .. I think, like I said.. it has value.. but I'm going to judge it as it comes.. if they say long live obama I'll say "ignore" .. if they say duck, nuke is inbound .. I'm digging a hole...

Originally posted by KnawLick

... I just don't want white house talk points beemed to my phone eventually.

I'm addressing it from an annoyance factor, it will only be optional for so long.

You have the ability to ignore.. it's just some text.. it's 2-4 seconds of your life depending on how fast you read.. and besides if you're one of us who jailbreaks, you'll probably have the option to block it eventually =) .. but I personally would rather see it and know what it is and choose to ignore it than to ignore something potentially important... I see it as potentially useful, if it gets annoying or stupid then I'll figure out some way to block it ... and I'll publish a tweak =)

reply to post by miniatus


Touché. I may not agree but I respect your philosophy.

I only hope they have more courteousy than the people spamming my email 24/7

Originally posted by KnawLick
reply to post by miniatus

 

Touché. I may not agree but I respect your philosophy.

I only hope they have more courteousy than the people spamming my email 24/7

As do I .. I really truly hope they don't choose to use it for those purposes, I understand your concern.. and I can see the potential .. but I hope they don't .. and I think they won't .. but if they do .. I will choose to ignore it

What?

People don't carry their radios or television sets where ever they go.

Its 2012.

The majority of people (the people that the gov actually want to reach) has cellphones on them at all times.

Don't get me wrong, I'm skeptical of everything the gov does but this seems fine.

BUT there could be some kind of hidden feature that goes along with the government alert.

It could also be a much easier way to listen and record all your conversations.

Or it could send hidden secret radio sound waves into your head that ultimately brainwashes you into a ZOMBIE

MUAHAHAHAHHAHAHA

Oh come on, typical Inforwars scaremongering. From the actual article they are spinning:

This could mean “big news” for those who are working in the emergency management industry, especially to those manufacturers who already opted in their mobile devices to receive emergency alerts. In addition, users can now receive alerts from the local, state and federal officials via Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System. Furthermore, users can check in their handset or their carrier’s website to see if their device is capable of receiving emergency alerts.

The good thing about Government Alerts is that users can opt out of the feature by heading on the Settings menu. Using a toggle on/off button, owners of Apple devices can stop receiving alert messages if they want to.

So it's for emergency broadcasts (seems like a good thing, e.g. hurricane warnings) and it's entirely optional. What exactly is the big deal here?

From the Inforwars article:

Apple’s eagerly awaited iOS 6 update for iPhones and iPads will include controversial ‘government alerts’ that some fear are part of the federal government’s takeover of communications networks.

SOME? Who are these "some" people? It's just baseless speculation that has no place in this forum.

The federal government is keen to implement a centralized system of control over all communications, with last year’s announcement that all new cell phones will be required to comply with the PLAN program (Personal Localized Alerting Network), which will broadcast emergency alert messages directly to Americans’ cell phones.

What? These are two completely separate topics. Inforwars are using this rather innocuous tech article to fan the flames for their anti-government fearmongering. You don't get to tie in two completely unrelated issues just by mentioning them in the same breath.