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It Took Nearly Three Hours For France's Terror Alert App To Respond To Nice Attack (theverge.com)

Amar Toor, reporting for The Verge: A terror alert app released by the French government last month has come under criticism after taking hours to notify users of Thursday night's attack in Nice. The app, called SAIP was released by the French Interior Ministry on iOS and Android in June, ahead of the Euro 2016 soccer tournament. According to the ministry, the app would provide users with alerts and information within 15 minutes of a terrorist attack being confirmed. But it apparently took much longer to send out alerts following last night's attack in Nice, where a man drove a truck into a crowded seaside promenade during Bastille Day celebrations, killing at least 84 people and leaving 18 others in critical condition. Users who had downloaded the app posted phone screenshots to Twitter last night showing that SAIP sent out its first alert just after 1:30AM local time -- nearly three hours after the attack began. Facebook, by contrast, activated its Safety Check feature shortly after the attack was carried out, and French politicians urged those in the area to check in using that feature, as SAIP remained silent.

39 of 278 comments (clear)

  1. I'm just waiting for.... by cayenne8 · · Score: 5, Funny
    ...the democrats to get on the air quickly and start advocating for Banning ALL Assault Trucks immediately!!

    ;)

    --
    Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
    1. Re:I'm just waiting for.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      I rented a large "moving truck" last year. I didn't even need a background check. They didn't even ask why I needed such a big truck

      It is scary how easy it is to get a large truck like that.

    2. Re:I'm just waiting for.... by Fire_Wraith · · Score: 4, Funny

      Banning trucks would only put us at more risk, because the only effective defense against a bad guy with a truck, is a good guy with a truck.

    3. Re:I'm just waiting for.... by CrimsonAvenger · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Though in this case, it turned out the only (semi)effective defense against the bad guy with a truck was a good guy with a gun....

      --

      "I do not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"
    4. Re:I'm just waiting for.... by Lumpy · · Score: 3, Insightful

      The media is certain that guns force people to kill, so trucks must do it as well.

      They refuse to deal with the real problem, there are batshit insane people in the world that want to kill others....

      Maybe making murder illegal will fix it?

      --
      Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
    5. Re:I'm just waiting for.... by Nidi62 · · Score: 2

      I rented a large "moving truck" last year. I didn't even need a background check. They didn't even ask why I needed such a big truck

      It is scary how easy it is to get a large truck like that.

      If the truck is black with plastic trim does that make it an assault truck?

      --
      The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil
  2. The keyword is "being confirmed" by Chatterton · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The keyword is "being confirmed". It take time to confirm that a truck running over people is a criminal act and not 'just' an accident.
    But in the end this demonstrate that this application is completely un-useful...

  3. Re: YOU HAVE TO GO BACK by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Yep, why take chances in which ones are good and which ones are bad. Deport them all and let them fight it out. Maybe if they have no countries to run to and ruin, they will fix their own. Or maybe they'll all kill each other. Either way they won't ruin other countries anymore.

  4. Terror Alert delay is the Insightful news? by Eloking · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I know that news such as this one always attract criticism about the lack of technology from "some" people ion the community, but as many others /. users have pointed out, /. is also supposed to be about "stuff that matters".

    So, my question is, how did it occurred in the editor's compassionless mind that the stupid delay of the terror app was more relevant than the +300 victims of this tragedy?

    --
    Elok
    1. Re:Terror Alert delay is the Insightful news? by thegarbz · · Score: 2

      Question for you: Should every single website on the internet feature nothing but the same outpouring of compassion for the 300+ victims, not to mention news papers, TV and radio as well? Should we shut down the world and ban anyone from talking about anything but these 300+ people?

      God forbid there was a piece of technology involved some nerds may be interested in. Nope we shouldn't talk about that on slashdot, we should just have the same thing I would get from every single other source of media social or otherwise.

  5. Is it even yet confirmed as terrorism? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Last I heard, there was considerable evidence that it might not have been terrorism; it might have just someone going apeshit and committing mass murder.

    My guess is that the French government had no idea whether or not it was terrorism, and after 3 hours they just decided to err on the side of caution and issue the alert, just in case.

    Of course, that raises the whole question as to why anyone would give a damn what the motive behind a mass murder is, in any situation where they're trying to get information quickly. Regardless of whether the truck driver is politically motivated or not, you want to get the fuck out of his way. It sounds like the very idea of a "terror alert" app just might be amazingly stupid. A "danger alert" app would be a hundred times more useful.

    1. Re:Is it even yet confirmed as terrorism? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      considerable evidence that it might not have been terrorism

      The usual suspects in the left-wing media are indeed pushing that line.

      Of course, that raises the whole question as to why anyone would give a damn what the motive behind a mass murder is

      No, it really doesn't raise the question. Motive is always crucial. Politicians use the motives of mass killers for political capital. There is never any concern for this "question" when politicians can use an event for gun control purposes, for instance.

    2. Re:Is it even yet confirmed as terrorism? by Nidi62 · · Score: 2

      Motive is always crucial.

      A guy with a history of petty crimes, in the process of getting divorced, and had just been fired from his job. Even with the Muslim name, it sounds more like a guy going postal than anything else.

      --
      The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil
    3. Re:Is it even yet confirmed as terrorism? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      > there was considerable evidence that it might not have been terrorism

      Right... the guy ramming his box truck into ~300 people (84 dead, 200+ injured as of this morning), while accelerating, firing a machine gun, and shouting "Allahu Akbar" the entire time (as reported by eye witnesses), might NOT have been terrorism... There was no period in time where there was considerable evidence of anything BUT terrorism. Anyone on the scene knew what the deal was, the first responders knew, the cops that pumped dozens of bullets into him knew, etc.

      > A "danger alert" app would be a hundred times more useful.

      Agree 100%... Ultimately the motivation does not matter. The app is worthless if it does not immediately alert to ALL proximate danger.

    4. Re:Is it even yet confirmed as terrorism? by johannesg · · Score: 2

      Last I heard, there was considerable evidence that it might not have been terrorism; it might have just someone going apeshit and committing mass murder.

      According to various sources the driver was shouting "allahu akbar" (search for it on Google or read the wikipedia article if you do not believe me). Guns and grenades were found in the vehicle after the attack as well. I'm not sure how that could leave any doubt about whether it was terrorism or not.

    5. Re:Is it even yet confirmed as terrorism? by swb · · Score: 3, Insightful

      A guy with a history of petty crimes, in the process of getting divorced, and had just been fired from his job.

      That's the new recruiting criteria for ISIS affiliates. People who only ever had it together in a marginal sense going through yet another crisis realizing they can now be somebody by killing a bunch of people in the name of some religious identity they barely have.

      These people are Travis Bickle from the movie "Taxi Drivier" except rather than focusing their simple minded rage and failure on crime, they're focusing it on the larger society they only sort of fit into, and usually only sort of fitting into it for reasons that have nothing to do with their religious identity.

      In many ways,the Dallas cop shooting was an ISIS attack in all but name -- disaffected loser unable to reconcile his place in life with his own actions, lashing out at the part of society he blamed for it in the name of a larger and more righteous cause. That shooter just chose to identify with some kind of black power mindset rather than Islamic terrorism.

  6. Re: YOU HAVE TO GO BACK by Defakto · · Score: 2

    Why take chances that all people are good or bad, deport us all, can't risk a few bad apples doing bad things.

  7. When will they get it? by Trachman · · Score: 2, Insightful

    There are many problems that cannot be solved with the app. Not the terrorism.

    This app was a scam by design: there are little benefits of knowing of attack 15 minutes after it took place.

    Reality is that the app was just another project to skim money from government, like they have skimmed thousands of times before that. Remember the $2 million app that randomizes whether to go to left or to the right? Reality is that once money have been consumed, those who made profit moved on and they no longer care. Also, reality is that you cannot buy complete security for the amount of resources is limited, yet security risks are infinite. If the app gets sued it will eventually become clear that the app cannot be litigated and has no responsibility to notify you, as decided by the courts http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06...

    Reality is that the attacker was stopped by the first man with a firearm.

    Reality is that automatic and semi-automatic gun ownership just got another solid, not even a theoretical card, to use when defending the gun ownership from nutty gun fearing zealots. Reality is that a single semi-automatic rifle would have been extremely effective in stopping the madman in Nice attack.

    And no. Let's not ban the trucks.

    1. Re:When will they get it? by Ogive17 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Reality is that a single semi-automatic rifle would have been extremely effective in stopping the madman in Nice attack.

      I don't know how long it took that guy to plow through the crowd but I am quite positive no one in that crowd would have had the time, situational analysis, and space to end the threat without taking out more innocent bystanders.

      I'm not anti-gun, there are just very few people trained to respond with deadly force in traumatic situations. Your average citizen is not one of them. Your average citizen is going to protect their own life by getting the fuck out of the way.

      --
      "Action without philosophy is a lethal weapon; philosophy without action is worthless."
    2. Re:When will they get it? by PPH · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Reality is that the attacker was stopped by the first man with a firearm.

      Actually, no. Video made of the truck just getting started shows French police shooting at it. It continued on for at least a mile. One or two snap shots aren't going to have much change of stopping something like a truck. The truck stopped on its own, then they killed the driver.

      --
      Have gnu, will travel.
    3. Re:When will they get it? by SuiteSisterMary · · Score: 2

      This is the same point I try to make a lot.

      There's been a lot of research since WW2 in to what it takes to actually get somebody to be able to respond appropriately in a 'deadly force encounter.' A two day CCW course isn't it. By and large, police training isn't it, either.

      Unless you're doing regular training exercises, in real life, using something like simunition, you are very likely to simply be useless when something happens.

      --
      Vintage computer games and RPG books available. Email me if you're interested.
  8. Missing The Point by Afty0r · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The point of this app was to generate profit for the company developing it, not to do anything useful. To expect it to be useful is naive in the extreme.

  9. Re:This will help by Opportunist · · Score: 2

    No hanging and quartering, just drawing?

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  10. Re:I'm just waiting for....ban on assault trucks!! by cayenne8 · · Score: 5, Funny

    And if they can't they will limit gas tank capacity, axle width, and armor piercing bumpers as then require that you pass a background check every time you refill at a gas station.

    Well, come on..lets be *reasonable*..I mean, who needs 30 gallons of gas JUST to go hunting, you know?

    What we need are Common Sense Truck Laws...at this point, even 80% of truck owning Americans agree with this.

    Next week, we also need to take up knife and folding chair safety legislation, you just never know what one of these terrorist bastards will pick up next to kill with....

    --
    Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
  11. Re:YOU HAVE TO GO BACK by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    Deport them where?

    Who fucking cares? Just put them in boxcars and pull the train to Syria (or on a boat and run it aground on their beach) with full air support to crash through the border, and leave them there and reseal the border. Make it their problem. Fuck them all. Unfortunately we are too weak to do what needs to be done. Blame the politically correct for putting us all in danger and allowing these people out of the middle east to begin with. Oh, and stop trying to rescue those damn people in their sinking boats. Let them drown like the rats that they are. It is long past time to end this. Otherwise Europe is doomed. We have to contain this war and keep it outside our borders. There is only one way, ship them all out! NOW!

  12. Re:YOU HAVE TO GO BACK by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Yes, because the healthy, normal response to feeling a little out of place is to murder people. Surely we can all agree that a culture which promotes mass murder because their feelings are hurt is one which must be honored, cherished, and brought into our homelands in droves.

  13. Re:YOU HAVE TO GO BACK by qwijibo · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Hint: the belief that a better path is "why don't we kill all..." is the source, not solution to the problem.

  14. Re: YOU HAVE TO GO BACK by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Only a king bigot would want to kill all people he/she thinks are bigots. I think you need to look in the mirror and reflect on the monster you have become.

  15. Re:YOU HAVE TO GO BACK by Mashiki · · Score: 4, Informative

    You think that bigotry caused this? Or any of the other previous terrorist attacks? No. Stop being so damned naive. Countries like Saudi Arabia, UAE, Quatar? They're funding extrimism in our own backyards by paying for the institutional buildings to spread that type of hate. You should probably pick up a history book as well. Then you'll find out that this has been an on-going problem for nearly 1300 years at this point. I'm sure someone will come out whining but what about the crusades. Oh yes, those crusades that were a response...after nearly 200 years of attacks against European countries, against muslim slavery, destruction of churches and religious sites. Rape, pillaging and murder of entire towns. It's so stupidly easy to chart the initial battles, slavery camps, slave markets from historical documents(the feudal governments and catholic church were malicious about it). And even easier to see when the initial push-back started.

    That there are serious problems with muslims entering from the middle east and africa causing no shortage of problems. That in their new host countries, they continue the old way of life instead of integrating. That there are mosques and madrassa's that teach extremism as the bread and butter of their faith. You can find them easily all over Europe. Before someone goes..."but you're a white male, you don't know anything!" Let me finish out with I'm a first generation kid in Canada, born to mixed race parents who's parents integrated into society, left the old world bullshit behind, became productive members of society and were respected for it. So with that, I respect muslims that will turn around and leave the old world garbage behind and become productive members of society. The rest? Nope. And those ones that won't? They'll even attack their fellow brothers because they believe that they're not muslim anymore. See what happened here in Canada after the double terrorist attacks within a week of each other. When leaders of reformist muslim movements, and liberal mosque leaderships denounced and then stated that all mosques should be under police surveillance. The response? "You're not muslim, you should be killed. You're an apostate! Etc, etc, etc."

    --
    Om, nomnomnom...
  16. Re:YOU HAVE TO GO BACK by Mashiki · · Score: 2, Interesting

    You could almost say that the oil industry is really to blame. We've got a 60 year history of destabilizing a region where this mad ideology originates and then funding (and arming) their dictators. Oil industry and banksters have wrought this upon us. And a family named, "Rothschild"

    We'll never deal with terrorism until we deal with that and the fallout from Balfour.

    Okay, let's roll with this. You know the US is now sitting on more oil, coal and NG, then there are proven supplies in say Saudi Arabia? Canada comes in just under that US total too. So let's cut the snake off at the head, and start using our own oil/NG/coal/etc. Sounds good right? Oh wait, what do you mean those environmentalists are starting to whine, and the nimby's are so uptight that their assholes are where their mouths are? And there's a brain dead president in power that doesn't want to do anything and impose more bans on developing those sites or continues with the environmentalist anti-nuke policies.

    Solution and answer are right there and could end it all in 30 years.

    --
    Om, nomnomnom...
  17. Needs to be re-thought by Lirodon · · Score: 2

    Reading about failures like this makes me appreciate that both Canada and the United States have mandatory systems for the interruption of programming across all broadcasters, regardless of platform, in the event of a public emergency. Apps can help disseminate information, but they should not be constitute the only distribution path besides the media.

  18. Re:YOU HAVE TO GO BACK by JackieBrown · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Countries like Saudi Arabia, UAE, Quatar? They're funding extrimism in our own backyards by paying for the institutional buildings to spread that type of hate.

    You could almost say that the oil industry is really to blame. We've got a 60 year history of destabilizing a region where this mad ideology originates and then funding (and arming) their dictators. Oil industry and banksters have wrought this upon us. And a family named, "Rothschild"

    We'll never deal with terrorism until we deal with that and the fallout from Balfour.

    Very true. It was such a stable and peaceful place before /sarcasm

  19. Re:YOU HAVE TO GO BACK by tnk1 · · Score: 2, Informative

    The Keystone XL pipeline extension was planned between Hardisty, Alberta, and Steele City, Nebraska. It does not go to Texas.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

    You're confused with the rest of the Keystone oil pipeline complex, some of which does go to Texas. All of those pipelines have already been built.

    In terms of why does any of it go to Texas? Keystone in general goes to refineries in Illinois and Texas. The reason for that is simple. That is where the refineries are.

    You sort of have it backwards. Yes, the refineries are there because of the port terminals. However, that's because port terminals is where you receive imports and Gulf coast oil, which have in the past, been an important source of oil for the US. Since Refineries are not going to move, particularly due to the expensive shale and tar sands oil, the oil from those areas goes to the refineries, not vice-versa.

    Of course, yes, sending the oil to the terminals does allow for export, but that's not really a focus of the Keystone pipeline complex. Could it happen? Quite possibly. But whether or not it is possible, the reason for the pipelines isn't the international banking conspiracy, it is the situation of refinery capacity. If there were not "banksters", they would still send the oil to Texas and other places with sea terminals because that is where you find a lot of refineries situated.

  20. Re:YOU HAVE TO GO BACK by tnk1 · · Score: 2

    Actually, the US itself is fairly independent of Saudi oil these days.

    The problem is that Europe and China are not. Even if we were 100% off Saudi oil, Saudi would still be making bank.

    Our purpose in the Middle East is simple, prevent World War III so that we don't have to ride to save the day like we did in WWII. And since nuclear weapons are in play, if there is a WWIII we may not get the chance to play Big Damn Heroes before its all over and we're all fucked.

    This is why I tend to favor libertarian ideas to some degree, but I absolutely, positively, do not support the isolationist planks.

    Yes, we are the world's policeman. Perhaps we shouldn't be, but that process should be planned out and slowly executed. Immediately dumping our presence around the world is more likely to precipitate the loss of American (and other) lives, than the occasional terrorist act, no matter how outrageous.

  21. Re: YOU HAVE TO GO BACK by ITRambo · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Historically, the "good" ones are silent when Islamist terrorists act. How many mosques have you seen speak out against ISIS and Islamist terrorism? The Islamist terrorist activities are encouraged by their "holy" books. I have always viewed Islam as the religion of evil, not of peace which is what they falsely claim. Recent activities have only strengthened my belief that the world has 1.3 billion people that either kill "infidels" with impunity, want to kill them, or silently support the killings. Muslims that see the light and denounce evil are no longer Muslims. I encourage everyone to read the Koran. See for yourself how Muhammad went from founding a movement that was encouraged to get along with others, down the path of insanity where he directed believers to kill those that did not convert or follow the laws that Muhammad set for them. The Western world has been shielded from this truth for too long. We can share a planet. We cannot share a country with these folks.

  22. France vs USA by nehumanuscrede · · Score: 2

    Had this event happened in the US instead of France, our elected idiots would be running around in little circles because they can't blame it on guns this time.

    I suppose we would see legislation along the lines of No Fly No Drive or something equally stupid.

    The only thing positive to come out of this is the fact this provides irrefutable evidence that no matter how hard you try to ban a thing, folks will find ways to kill one another en masse.

    The problem is, and always will be, people.

  23. Re:YOU HAVE TO GO BACK by quantaman · · Score: 2

    Deporting all Muslims is the only way to save western civilization.

    Western civilization isn't the one at risk, the reason for these attacks, the reason Muslim conservatives hate immigration even more than Western conservatives, is that repressive Muslim cultures are the ones under real threat.

    We're worried about people coming from a different culture and regressive beliefs. They're worried about those same immigrants becoming liberalized and spreading those ideas of tolerance back home.

    That's one of the reasons why ISIS is attacking the West, so that Western nations exclude and even kick out Muslims and stop the spread of western values into their culture. The other reason is that ISIS is losing and starting to get desperate, so they're increasing terror attacks to recruit more people and egg the West into doing something stupid (to the extent they care President Trump would be a win for them).

    These terror attacks are terrible but the price of western civilization is we sometimes need to endure terrible things.

    --
    I stole this Sig
  24. Re: YOU HAVE TO GO BACK by rahvin112 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Historically, the "good" ones are silent when Islamist terrorists act.

    The funniest part about this is how you would even know this, do you attend your local Mosque?

    The fact is almost all Western Mosques and Imam's routinely condemn terrorist attacks and terrorist sponsoring groups. You don't know what the fuck you are talking about. And the most ironic thing about it is you wouldn't expect your own church congregation and priest to attack and condem acts of Christian violence around the world. For example where was your condemnation when the Christians of the Central African Republic went on a rampage murdering all Muslims including women and children? Where was your public statement? Oh they don't represent you, do they? So why would you expect radical Islamic militants represent all muslims?

    You are a fucking bigot.

  25. Re: YOU HAVE TO GO BACK by AthanasiusKircher · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This is indeed a bad day when a hate-filled post like this gets modded +5 Insightful.

    Historically, the "good" ones are silent when Islamist terrorists act. How many mosques have you seen speak out against ISIS and Islamist terrorism?

    Yeah, they speak out all the time, though you wouldn't know it by reading the mainstream media. Every major terrorist event is generally followed by loads of denunciations by prominent Muslim leaders. And then there's stuff like this, where 70,000 Muslim clerics have issued a fatwa against terrorist acts.

    The Islamist terrorist activities are encouraged by their "holy" books. .... I encourage everyone to read the Koran.

    I'd encourage people to read other sacred texts written over a 1000 years ago when violence was much more common and compare. For example, have a look at the stuff in the Bible. Just one of those verses from Leviticus motivates dozens of killings of homosexuals every year, for example. But you don't tend to hear as much about them, because they tend to be individual killings. The main difference between Christianity/Judaism and Islam in terms of "holy" books (as you put it) is that the former tend to ignore the tenets of their scriptures more these days... compared to say a few centuries ago when they happily went around killing people in God's name too. (Heck, even in the 20th century you had genocides partially motivated by Christian sectarianism.)

    The Western world has been shielded from this truth for too long. We can share a planet. We cannot share a country with these folks.

    And it's people with views like this that are playing directly into the hands of the terrorists -- and by terrorists, I mean actual terrorist leaders and those motivated by political/religious ideology, not this numbnuts in France who from recent reports appears to be far from motivated by ideology. The reports are still early, but if recent media stories and interviews with family members and neighbors are to be believed, this guy was just a whackjob with a previous arrest for road rage and whose personal life had self-destructed. He doesn't appear to have been religious at all, drinking, doing drugs, eating pork, never attending services, etc.

    So what about the reports that he shouted "Allahu akbar!" during the killings? Well, if he did, he was probably playing into the "terrorist" fantasy world you're putting him into.

    If you don't mind, I'm not going to dignify him by calling him a "terrorist" -- that's insulting to actual politically motivated folks who feel the need to act violently in the name of an ideology. I'll just call this guy "Numbnuts," which is the level of respect he deserves.

    From recent reports, it appears that Numbnuts was a depressed loner. In the past, some idiotic coward afraid of dealing with his own life might have quietly offed himself with a gun to the head in his own house, or maybe jumped off a bridge or something. Or maybe he would have "gone postal" and killed some family or coworkers just to take some of the people he hated with him. (Note that term go postal, remember that? Dozens of incidents of postal workers shooting up people over a decade, and I don't remember anyone calling for them all to be deported... sure no incidents on this scale, but still.)

    Anyhow, Numbnuts here doesn't sound like a terrorist. He was just a screwed-up lunatic with a death wish. And if he shouted some Muslim phrase at the end, it's probably because he read some BS on the internet and people like you af