As global conspiracy theories go, this is a juicy one.
On Tuesday, Nov. 17, at around 2:20 p.m. ET, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Communications Commission are planning a test of the Emergency Alert System. That’s when all hell is supposed to break loose. At least, that’s what you might believe if you only rely on social media.
Coming just days after an abrupt and disruptive government-ordered shutdown of air travel in the US and technical issues that caused an unwelcome outage of widely used Microsoft workplace software, the test will be happening in an atmosphere of heightened anxiety.
Videos across Facebook, Instagram and TikTok have floated the theory that this emergency test signals a catastrophe is coming, potentially stemming from a cyberattack or a digital disruption that could knock out electricity, internet and other services. Many have started scrambling to buy emergency supplies, pointing to the need for a 90-day stockpile of food, water, cash and essential medicines in case hackers wipe out bank accounts and shut down the web.
Similar rumors have spread globally, as the governments of France, the UK and Canada have put renewed attention on the importance of households being able to survive a potential weather-related crisis or technological disaster.
