Google admits that Turkey’s 10 million earthquakes failed

Google recognized its early warning system failed to accurately warn people during the death earthquake of Turkey in 2023.

Ten million people 98 miles from the epicenter could be sent to the highest Google level – refusing up to 35 seconds of warning to find security.

Instead, only 469 “take action” were sent to the first earthquake 7.8.

Google said the BBC half a million people were sent a warning about the lower level designed for “trembling light” and does not warn users in the same visible way.

Previously, the technological giant told the BBC that the system “worked well”.

The system works on Android devices that make up more than 70% of phones in Turkey.

More than 55,000 people were killed when on February 6, 2023, two major earthquakes were in southeastern Turkey, more than 100,000 were injured. Many slept in the buildings that fell around them when they pushed.

Google’s early warning system was on the spot and lived on earthquake day – however, it underestimated how strong the earthquakes were.

“We still improve the system based on what we learn in every earthquake,” Google’s press said.

The Google System called Android Earthquake (AEA) is able to detect a trembling of a huge number of mobile phones that use Android operating system.

Because earthquakes move relatively slowly on the ground, then you can send a warning.

Google’s most serious warning is called “Take an Action” that creates a high -profile alarm on the user’s phone – overcomes the Setting A “don’t bother” – and covers their screen.

This is a warning that should be sent to people when a stronger upheaval that can threaten a person is discovered.

AEA also has a less serious warning “Be aware” designed to inform users about a potential stroke – do not violate the device that does not exceed the device.

The warning about the action was particularly important in Turkey because of the catastrophic trembling and because the first earthquake struck at 04:17 if many users would sleep. Only a more serious warning would have woken up.

In the month after the BBC earthquake wanted to talk to users who received this warning – initially to demonstrate the effectiveness of the technology.

But despite talking to people in cities and cities across the area affected by the earthquake, for months we were unable to find those who received a more serious notice of actions before struck the earthquake. We published our conclusions later this year.

Google researchers wrote in the journal Science Journal, which went wrong, citing “restrictions on detection algorithms”.

For the first earthquake, the system evaluated a trembling at 4.5 to 4.9 at the magnitude (MMS) when it was actually 7.8.

The second great earthquake was later underestimated, and this system this time sent actions about 8,158 phones and be aware of just less than 4 million users.

After the earthquake, Google researchers changed the algorithm and again model the first earthquake.

This time the system has created 10 million alerts to those who are at risk – and another 67 million will be aware of the announcements about those who live away from the epicenter

“Each early warning system fights the same problem – setting algorithms for great events,” Google BBC said.

But Elizabeth Reddy, an associate professor at Colorado, says that it took more than two years to this information.

“I am very disappointed that it has passed so much time,” she said

“We do not talk about a small event – people died – and we did not see this warning the way we would like.”

Google says the system must be additional and is not a replacement for national systems.

However, some scientists are worried that countries give too much faith in technology that have not been fully proven.

“I think it is very transparent in how well it works is very critical,” said BBC Harold Tobin, director of the Pacific North -Western seismic network.

“Will some places make the calculation what Google does it, so we don’t need it?”

Google researchers say the analysis after events has better improved the system – and AEA has put forward alerts in 98 countries.

The BBC asked Google how AEA performed during the 2025 earthquake in Myanmar but has not yet received an answer.