Minnesota AG urges Google fix Android update causing thousands of accidental 911 calls
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison made a statement Thursday urging Google to address an Android update resulting in a flood of accidental calls to 911.
A recent software update allows Android phones to call emergency services after five consecutive taps on the power button. The feature will call 911 unless canceled by the user within seconds.
Ellison says the update has caused a "massive rise" of accidental 911 calls and they are straining the resources of 911 centers across the state.
Earlier this month, the Anoka County Sheriff's Office said its "deputies were dispatched to an extremely high volume of accidental 911 calls which were likely caused by the new Android software."
Minneapolis says it has received thousands of additional inadvertent calls to its 911 center.
In Greater Minnesota, Otter Tail County has reported hundreds of accidental 911 calls, double the amount from the same time last year.
In his letter, Ellison asks Google to immediately resolve the issue and provide detailed information about how and when the fix will be implemented.
"We Minnesotans count on 911 when we need emergency help, and 911 dispatchers and public safety telecommunicators are there for us every day, working calmly and selflessly to get us help from first responders as soon as possible," Ellison said. "The recent Android software update has made their work much harder and the rest of us less safe."
Android users can turn the automatic calling off by going to the phone's settings and toggling the "Emergency SOS" feature.