Unauthorized alert sent to cell phones across Brazil • Hacker News Board

Re: Unauthorized alert sent to cell phones across Brazil

#21

Post by p0w3n3d » Sat, Jun 20, 2026, 10:18 PM UTC

throwaway81523 wrote: post #12

There was a Larry Niven story where if you tried to call a certain guy, every phone in South America would ring instead. Anyone remember which story it was? The phone thing was just a throwaway line, not a significant plot point.

It might have been the Ringworld

"Well?"Nessus began to pace the floor. "Many disqualify themselves by obvious bad luck. Of the rest, none seem to be available. When we call, they are out. When we call back, the phone computer gives us a bad connection. When we ask for any member of the Brandt family, every phone in South America rings. There have been complaints. It is very frustrating."

https://www.naneahoffman.com/the-blog/shelf-care-alien-archi...

Re: Unauthorized alert sent to cell phones across Brazil

#22

Post by p0w3n3d » Sat, Jun 20, 2026, 10:19 PM UTC

TBH phones in Poland allow to call you "from" an arbitrary number (i.e. display it on your phone). Also send SMS with arbitrary source.

This is being used by scammers who call you and tell they are from police bank etc

Re: Unauthorized alert sent to cell phones across Brazil

#23

Post by shagie » Sat, Jun 20, 2026, 10:19 PM UTC

neko_ranger wrote: post #3

mseepgood wrote: post #2

Of all the messages they could have sent they chose the most boring.

lets play a game HN, what would be the best alert to send? mine would be something scifi, like "ALIENS HAVE LANDED" or "PLUTO DECLARES WAR"

I got a new job! from seank

Re: Unauthorized alert sent to cell phones across Brazil

#24

Post by harrisoned » Sat, Jun 20, 2026, 10:21 PM UTC

neko_ranger wrote: post #3

mseepgood wrote: post #2

Of all the messages they could have sent they chose the most boring.

lets play a game HN, what would be the best alert to send? mine would be something scifi, like "ALIENS HAVE LANDED" or "PLUTO DECLARES WAR"

"PIX will be discontinued today"

Re: Unauthorized alert sent to cell phones across Brazil

#25

Post by lxgr » Sat, Jun 20, 2026, 10:23 PM UTC

p0w3n3d wrote: post #22

TBH phones in Poland allow to call you "from" an arbitrary number (i.e. display it on your phone). Also send SMS with arbitrary source. This is being used by scammers who call you and tell they are from police bank etc

This works in many countries, since the signalling protocols historically assumed a trusted small set of participants, not unlike email – with similar consequences once those assumptions became less and less true.

Re: Unauthorized alert sent to cell phones across Brazil

#26

Post by jpablo » Sat, Jun 20, 2026, 10:28 PM UTC

The power to send mass messages to a whole country is the worst thing google/apple have given to governments across the world.

Re: Unauthorized alert sent to cell phones across Brazil

#27

Post by woodruffw » Sat, Jun 20, 2026, 10:31 PM UTC

jpablo wrote: post #26

The power to send mass messages to a whole country is the worst thing google/apple have given to governments across the world.

This implies that governments didn’t already have this ability, which appears to be largely untrue? To my understanding, many countries already had emergency messaging systems, and mobile integrations are just a way of modernizing them.

(It seems exceedingly good that the government can warn every civilian about natural disasters, etc.)

Re: Unauthorized alert sent to cell phones across Brazil

#28

Post by marcosdumay » Sat, Jun 20, 2026, 10:32 PM UTC

lysace wrote: post #18

neko_ranger wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

lets play a game HN, what would be the best alert to send? mine would be something scifi, like "ALIENS HAVE LANDED" or "PLUTO DECLARES WAR"

Most dangerous one: "This is Army Commander Tomás Miguel Ribeiro Paiva. We have chosen to take command of the country to protect you against serious crimes against the people that we have become aware of. Remain calm and continue with your daily duties." (Except in Brazilian Portuguese.)

Scary stuff.

I guess so scary that there isn't a single person willing to try it. But yeah, that is the most dangerous one possible.

Re: Unauthorized alert sent to cell phones across Brazil

#29

Post by murderfs » Sat, Jun 20, 2026, 10:35 PM UTC

jpablo wrote: post #26

The power to send mass messages to a whole country is the worst thing google/apple have given to governments across the world.

These aren't from Google or Apple, they're from the wireless providers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cell_Broadcast

Re: Unauthorized alert sent to cell phones across Brazil

#30

Post by spacebacon » Sat, Jun 20, 2026, 10:40 PM UTC

neko_ranger wrote: post #3

mseepgood wrote: post #2

Of all the messages they could have sent they chose the most boring.

lets play a game HN, what would be the best alert to send? mine would be something scifi, like "ALIENS HAVE LANDED" or "PLUTO DECLARES WAR"

[dead]