Claims that Infosys – the firm founded by Rishi Sunak’s father-in-law – was behind Sunday’s emergency alert have been shown to be incorrect.
Millions of phones across the UK sounded with a siren at the weekend as part of a test for a new national emergency alert system.
The loud alarm was planned to ring at 3pm on all devices that were using 4G and 5G networks in the UK.
A number of high-profile social media accounts posted that the firm behind the controversial warning system was connected to the prime minister’s father-in-law, one that his wife, Akshata Murty, holds shares in.
But the claims have been shown to be incorrect.
Full Fact, a charity of fact checkers and campaigners, has debunked some of the misinformation spreading about the emergency alert.
A government spokesperson told them: “This is completely untrue – there are no connections with Infosys in the running of the Emergency Alerts system.”
A spokesperson for Infosys also said: “Infosys has not been involved, directly or indirectly, in the creation of the UK government emergency alert system.”
While Fujitsu told The London Economic that reports that they sub-contracted to Infosys are also untrue.
Pippa Allen-Kinross, News and Online Editor at Full Fact, said: “We have seen multiple instances in which bad information about the emergency alert has already been shared thousands of times online.
“Be careful what you share on social media. Misinformation about this alert may lead to unnecessary alarm, and in some instances, may even cause people to opt out of future alerts (as many online have claimed they already have) based on incorrect information.”
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