Google dismissed any responsibility this Thursday for the false earthquake alert that caused panic in several Cuban provinces on Tuesday, August 18.
In statements to Martí Noticias, a spokesperson for the company stated: "These claims are incorrect. The Android Earthquake Alert System did not detect any earthquakes or send alerts in Cuba."
The response dismantles the version that had been spread by the official media of the regime, including Cubadebate, which pointed from the very beginning to a supposed failure of the system for seismic detection by Google for Android.
Google's denial reinforces suspicions regarding ETECSA, the state monopoly on telecommunications and the only cellular network operator in the country.
A source who requested to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation, and claims to hold a position in the upper management of ETECSA, revealed to Martí Noticias that the alert originated during an internal test carried out at the Technology Center of 19 and B, in El Vedado, Havana.
According to that version, the trial was supposed to be limited to a controlled environment, but the technicians lost control of its scope. "It was initially planned to take place in a testing environment, but it got out of hand for the specialists involved in the Core Network," the source stated.
The same person stated that, after the incident, members of State Security arrived at the technology center and remained in a meeting with ETECSA officials until the evening. It is alleged that there was an order to delete messages related to the incident from several internal WhatsApp groups.
Martí Noticias clarified that it could not independently verify these latest claims, and that two ETECSA executives identified as responsible for the test declined to answer phone calls.
The telecommunications enthusiast community Cell Mapper Cubano published on X a screenshot of the alert history from an Android device showing a "Test message from ETWS" received at 3:04 PM on Tuesday, followed precisely one minute later by the "Earthquake Alert" advising to seek shelter.
ETWS —the English acronym for Earthquake and Tsunami Warning System— is an international standard that enables mobile network operators to broadcast emergency messages directly from network antennas to all compatible devices in an area, without the need for mobile data or an internet connection.
That detail is crucial: several users reported receiving the alert without having active data or Wi-Fi, something technically incompatible with Google's system, which does require connectivity to function, but perfectly compatible with a transmission via ETWS controlled by the network operator.
The alert on Tuesday reached phones and tablets in Havana, Mayabeque, Matanzas, Ciego de Ávila, Camagüey, Las Tunas, Holguín, Granma, and Santiago de Cuba, causing evacuations and scenes of panic.
The National Center for Seismological Research confirmed that none of its 24 stations recorded a significant movement, and the United States Geological Survey also reported no earthquake on the Island.
As of this Thursday, ETECSA has not issued any public explanation regarding whether a test was conducted, who authorized it, why it affected nine provinces, or what measures will be taken to prevent a recurrence.
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