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A potentially dangerous setting on Android phones means that emergency phone lines are being pocket dialled, a Metropolitan Police officer has warned. Android devices have a setting called ‘Emergency SOS’ that is intended to make it easier for people to call for help. If a person presses the power button fives times or more, it starts a series of emergency actions like calling for help. Users can choose what that setting does. But by default the phone calls the police number, so that they will be alerted to any issue. The ease with which the setting can be activated means that 999 lines in the UK are getting called by accident, according Met Police chief superintendent Dan Ivey. The button is being pressed while people’s phones are in their pockets, further filling up already stretched emergency call handlers. He asked that people disable the feature to help reduce demand. He described the setting as a “problem”, though some users may opt to keep it active if they feel that it is likely to be used in an emergency. Mr Ivey said that on Saturday the Met Police had received an “unprecedented” 9,500 calls through 999, and 3,000 on non-emergency lines. Only 20 per cent of them had required police to be sent in emergency response mode, he said. “There is a problem with SOS auto mode on Android devices, so we are asking for your help,” Mr Ivey said, describing the issue. He asked that people turn off the feature by going to settings and then choosing “Emergency SOS”, where the feature can be turned off or changed so that it does not ring 999. He asked people to ensure they only call 999 when they need police urgently, on blue lights, in situations where there is a danger to life, someone is using or there is immediate threat of serious violence, or there is serious injury to a person or serious damage to a property. Mr Ivey was responding a to post from the London Ambulance Service in which it said it was also receiving historic numbers of calls. It said that on Monday it had received 7,751 999 calls, the highest since New Year’s Eve 2021, and also asked people to keep 999 for life-threatening emergencies only. The iPhone also has its own Emergency SOS feature, though its design may mean that it is less likely to be triggered by accident. On newer phones it is activated by pressing a volume and power button, and on older ones it is used by pressing the power button fives times; in both cases, however, it also requires users to then push across a slider that will actually activate the emergency call. Read More Reddit says people will get over outrage and causes further outrage LinkedIn bans ‘wonder kid’ SpaceX engineer, 14, hired by Elon Musk Reddit hit by more outages as the fight over its future escalates

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Consumer cryptocurrency trading should be regulated as gambling, the treasury committee has urged. In a new report, the committee called for consumer trading in unbacked crypto assets to be treated in regulation as gambling. The cross-party committee of MPs said cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin are being used by criminals in scams and money laundering. Unbacked crypto assets – often called cryptocurrencies – are not supported by underlying assets, the committee added. They pose significant risks to consumers, given their price volatility and the risk of losses, according to the MPs, who said retail trading in unbacked crypto more closely resembles gambling than a financial service and should be regulated as such. The report said: “We strongly recommend that the government regulates retail trading and investment activity in unbacked crypto assets as gambling rather than as a financial service, consistent with its stated principle of ‘same risk, same regulatory outcome’.” The committee pointed to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) figures indicating that around 10 per cent of UK adults hold or have held crypto assets. The MPs also said potential productive innovation in financial services should not be unduly constrained. They said technologies underlying crypto assets may bring some benefits to financial services, particularly for cross-border transactions and payments in less developed countries. A balanced approach should be taken to supporting the development of crypto asset technologies, while avoiding spending public resources on projects without a clear, beneficial use, the MPs said. Harriett Baldwin, chair of the treasury committee, said: “The events of 2022 have highlighted the risks posed to consumers by the crypto asset industry, large parts of which remain a wild west. “Effective regulation is clearly needed to protect consumers from harm, as well as to support productive innovation in the UK’s financial services industry. “However, with no intrinsic value, huge price volatility and no discernible social good, consumer trading of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin more closely resembles gambling than a financial service, and should be regulated as such. “By betting on these unbacked ‘tokens’, consumers should be aware that all their money could be lost.” The committee is considering central bank digital currencies as a separate piece of work. A treasury spokesperson said: “Risks posed by crypto are typical of those that exist in traditional financial services and it’s financial services regulation – rather than gambling regulation – that has the track record in mitigating them. “Crypto offers opportunities but we are taking an agile approach to robustly regulating the market, addressing the most pressing risks first in a way that promotes innovation.” Read More Crypto rules get final approval to make Europe a global leader on regulation Is my money safe? What you need to know about bank failures Nearly 80% of APP scam cases start online, says UK Finance Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live