in the country. Sparking a flurry of questions,  

criticism, and even conspiracy theories. So  why did the government send out this alert?

Well, it was part of the Federal  Emergency Management Agency's  

Integrated Public Alert & Warning  System. Which was founded in 2006  

after criticism over the government's  slow response to Hurricane Katrina.

It established a modernized system to notify  citizens of emergencies as soon as possible.  

By sending text alerts to mobile phones and  even audio alerts to televisions and radios.  

It's typically used in localized areas to notify  people of threats like tornadoes or hurricanes.  

But it could also be used nationally in case of  more catastrophic threats like nuclear attacks.

But in order to ensure such a system is  working properly, it has to be tested.  

Which is why federal law mandates a nationwide  alert be sent at least once every three years.

The most recent test was successful,  

and clips of phones receiving the alert became  popular on platforms like TikTok and Facebook.

While discussion of the alert spread, so did a  few conspiracy theories. Some people felt the  

government wasn't using the test to verify  their safety alert system's reliability,  

but rather to control people by activating  graphene oxide nanoparticles introduced to our  

bodies through vaccines. These claims were quickly  debunked, since graphene oxide isn't even an  

ingredient in vaccines, and there's no such thing  as “activating it.” Whether through phone signals  

or any other means. Plus, the material has no  ability to control brain function to begin with.

And while conspiracy theories like these were  baseless, there were other concerns that had  

merit. For example, the emergency alert could  effect individuals in abusive relationships or  

families who may keep a secret phone for help  that would otherwise be denied. The loud alert  

could lead to the phone's discovery, and result  in a dangerous situation becoming even worse.

Now it is possible to turn off your phone  completely and avoid receiving the alert,  

but its purpose is to simply ensure the  system is functioning properly, and not  

to activate a plankton-esque mind controlled army.

This is Greg with Apple Explained,  thanks for watching till the end,  

and I'll see you in the next video.