France has launched a new smartphone app designed to alert users to possible terrorist attacks, amid growing security concerns over the Euro 2016 soccer tournament.
The Interior Ministry, which has piloted and introduced the service say the app, which will be free to download in both French and English, will send users a warning “in case of a suspected attack”
The BBC reports:
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The government said the app was developed after November’s attacks in Paris. which killed 130 people.
On Tuesday, the British Foreign Office warned that stadiums, fan zones and transport hubs were possible targets for attack during the football tournament.
Users will be able to sign up to receive alerts in up to eight different “geographical zones” in addition to their present location.
Alerts will offer a brief description of what has happened as well as advice on how to stay safe.
They will not cause the phone to vibrate or emit any sound in order to ensure that anyone hiding at the site of an attack does not alert the attackers, Metro News reported.
The government has stressed that users’ privacy will be protected.
Later versions of the app will also alert users to other types of emergencies beyond attacks, including floods and industrial accidents, officials said.
It is available to download for phones running both iOS and Android operating systems.
