Twitter and Disaster Notification

Twitter recently said it would notify subscribers that they can sign up for a program to receive emergency alerts and directives from dozens of global government agencies via text messages and Twitter's mobile application. The social media network played a major role last year in assisting East Coast victims during Hurricane Sandy. The problem is, though, that the Twitter feed can also be filled with misinformation spread by pranksters. Some people may also be uncomfortable about turning over their cell number to some of these agencies who have been hacked in the past. Twitter, for its part, has maintained a strictly hands-off attitude toward monitoring its content and denied responsibility for ensuring its accuracy.