No, AusAlert isn't tracking you (and other conspiracy theories)

Australia's upcoming national mobile alert system test has sparked a wave of online conspiracy theories, with some falsely claiming the government will use the system to track citizens. The AusAlert system, designed to broadcast emergency warnings via a siren and message to compatible devices, is scheduled for a nationwide test on Monday, July 27, at 2 p.m. AEST.

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The telcos already know which devices are connected to base stations. That's how the telecommunications system works. It's really a matter of you're either in that region, or you're not, it's as simple as that.

Concerns about privacy are at the forefront of these unfounded claims. However, experts emphasize that AusAlert operates on cell broadcast technology, distinct from the SMS system used for state warnings. Mark Gregory, from RMIT University's School of Engineering, explained that the system identifies devices within a specific region by their connection to base stations. "The telcos already know which devices are connected to base stations. That's how the telecommunications system works," he told ABC NEWS Verify. "It's really a matter of you're either in that region, or you're not, it's as simple as that."

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AusAlert works on cell broadcast technology which does not require a phone number. In fact it does not require a SIM card. This also means someone who's a visitor to Australia, who is in the area of risk, they too will receive the information if they have a compatible device and they're in the warning area. It's a one-way broadcast and we don't receive anything back in response.

Meghan Hibbert, assistant coordinator general of the AusAlert Task Force at the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), further clarified that AusAlert is a one-way system and does not grant access to users' devices. "AusAlert works on cell broadcast technology which does not require a phone number. In fact it does not require a SIM card," she stated. This means even visitors in the warning area with compatible devices will receive alerts. Hibbert also addressed a bizarre online suggestion to wrap phones in foil or place them in a microwave to avoid the alert, stating confidently, "The critical alert being used for the national test will override any such attempts, and wrapping your phone in foil or putting it in the microwave will make no difference."

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We saw no reason to test this, but I can confidently say that wrapping your phone in foil or putting it in the microwave will make no difference.