Group sues to block US emergency alert test
397 views · Published 8 October 2018 · 3:45 · Indexed 4 October 2026
Channel: AP Archive · 2018 · News & Politics
(3 Oct 2018) A New York federal judge has refused to block the Federal Emergency Management Agency from conducting its emergency alert test on telephones. Judge Katherine Polk Failla (FAY'-luh) in Manhattan rejected the longshot effort by three individuals who sued without a lawyer to try to stop the test Wednesday afternoon. The group who filed the suit raised concerns about the checks and balances on such a presidential alert, and said they were worried that children could receive the messages, which could cause emotional harm. Members of the group also raised concerns about President Donald Trump's ability to misuse the system, given his reputation for using Twitter. The judge called the constitutional questions raised by the lawsuit significant and urged the litigants to find attorneys to help them pursue their claims. The lawsuit said the alert system violates the First and 14th Amendments by failing to give people the chance to opt-out. Failla said the claims were too speculative to block the test. The judge said she believes the litigants want to ensure President Donald Trump doesn't turn the alert system into a second Twitter feed. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/7d6082330fbf067ab9747d2d49c61e9c
