Emergency alerts can now be silenced by phone users, if states allow it

The Federal Communications Commission proposes allowing states to send emergency alerts that phone users can silence. This means people could choose to mute alerts for certain public safety messages, rather than having all alerts blare loudly.

Currently, all Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) are designed to be loud and unskippable, to ensure critical messages are received. This proposal creates a new category of 'Public Safety Message' that could be delivered more flexibly. It means states and local authorities will have more options for how they communicate with the public, potentially reducing annoyance that leads people to opt out of all alerts.