President-elect Trump will be able to text your cell phone soon.
Once inaugurated, Trump, under the Warning, Alert, and Response Network Act, will have the ability to text the public with three types of emergency messages.
As part of the Federal Communications Commission’s Wireless Emergency Alerts program, messages from the president, regarding an amber alert or an imminent threat to safety or life, are permissible.
Technology has improved in recent years, allowing the next president to send an emergency message to more than 300 million people at a minute’s notice. The program is not opt-in, meaning, the messages will be sent to every cell phone picking up a signal in a select region or throughout the country.
President Obama has not relied on this executive feature.
While Twitter said earlier this week it would ban Trump from using its product if he used hate speech online, this texting system is not expected to be used as a channel for the White House to share its message.
The public should not expect to receive tweet-like texts from Trump, known for his casual use of Twitter to communicate his thoughts, once he takes office. These alerts go through the Federal Emergency Management Administration’s Integrated Public Alert & Warning System before being distributed to the public.
Cell phone carriers may allow consumers to block all alerts except those from Trump.
