French Govt’s app failed during Nice attack

The French government’s emergency smartphone app designed to alert the public to an ongoing terror attack, malfunctioned during the attack on Nice. The government has now vowed to overhaul the app to make it more effective in future.

The government’s instant alert app—Saip (Système d’alerte et d’information des populations)—created after last November’s terrorist attacks across Paris and launched last month just before the Euro 2016 football tournament, is supposed to send instant warnings, information and advice directly to people’s phones if a bombing, shooting or other terrorist incident happens near them.

But when a truck driver drove at full speed into crowds on the Nice seafront during the Bastille Day fireworks display, killing 80 people and injuring hundreds more, it took almost three hours for the instant alert to be issued by the app.

The app turns the smartphone screen red and gives advice such as where to take cover. Albeit late, the app did warn alert its citizens, but the government also suspects that it led to inaccurate speculation on social media. Several rumours spread amid confusion on the night of attack, with some fearing there was a shooting or hostage-taking incident.

The French interior ministry said the information had been sent out too late by the app and summoned the contractors for talks on what went wrong. A ministry statement said there would be a swift action plan to ensure it never happened again.