Updated on February 16, 2024
IT-alert is the national public warning system operational from February 13, 2024, for four types of risks: nuclear accident or a radiological emergency situation, major accidents at industrial facilities, the collapse of a large dam, volcanic activity at the Phlegraean Fields, Vesuvius, and Vulcano Island. The testing phase is extended for another year for the following risks: earthquake-generated tsunami, Stromboli volcanic activity, and heavy rainfall.
IT-alert is not a system for collecting reports of warnings or emergencies from individual users.
For more information regarding the system, visit www.it-alert.it/en.
IT-alert's social channels - @ITALERTgov on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube - were activated in June 2023 to inform users about the tool and allow everyone to identify it and know what to do.
Social channels will not answer requests for assistance, which should be addressed only to the single emergency number 112 or to the other dedicated lines (113, 115, 118, 1515, 1530, etc.).
Currently, IT-alert's social profiles are managed by the Communication and Culture Service of the Civil Protection Department.
Social profiles are moderated Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Monitoring activity could be subject to change during civil protection emergencies that would involve the Department's staff.
1. Published content
- Information on the IT-alert public warning system.
- Information on emergency events for which IT-alert is operational.
- Information on testing activities.
2. Interactions
- Facebook Messenger and Instagram direct message features are not available.
- As part of the content moderation activity, interventions are possible to flag a link or provide information items helpful in clarifying doubts.
- For general information on civil protection themes, please refer to the toll-free number 800 840 840 840 of the Contact Center of the Civil Protection Department, active regularly from Monday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and social profiles (on Twitter and Facebook as @DPCgov, on YouTube and Flickr as Civil Protection Department).
- Note that IT-alert social pages do not respond to requests for assistance, which should be addressed exclusively to the single emergency number 112 or the other dedicated lines (113, 115, 118, 1515, 1530, etc.).
3. Netiquette and Content Moderation
Comments and posts that do not comply with the conditions stated on this page or any applicable law will be moderated or removed in the shortest possible time. Therefore, it is now acknowledged that:
- On social networks, everyone who posts is responsible for the content they post. Therefore, you are asked to present your opinion with correctness and moderation, relying as much as possible on verifiable evidence while respecting the opinions of others. Moderation by the profiles manager occurs after publication and generally during office hours.
- Insults, turpitude, alarmist, threatening, violent attitudes, or attitudes that harm the dignity of persons, the rights of minorities and minors, the principles of freedom and equality, and respect for the Privacy Act are strictly prohibited.
- Commercial solicitations and comments that support or encourage illegal activity are not allowed.
- Content that infringes copyright or unauthorized use of trademarks is not allowed.
- Comments that contain personal data and information (phone number, email box, address, etc.) or that may harm a third party's dignity will be removed.
Comments and content of the following kinds are also discouraged and still subject to moderation:
- Comments not relevant to the topic posted.
- Comments for or against political campaigns or voting directions.
- Comments or links posted to disrupt discussion or offend those who manage and moderate social channels.
- Spam.
- Interventions are posted repeatedly.
Regarding those who violate these rules of conduct, possible measures may be contemplated, such as banning, blocking, or reporting to the managers of social platforms and possibly the Police.
4. Licenses
Unless expressly mentioned a different attribution, the Communication and Culture Service of the Civil Protection Department produces the photos and videos published on social profiles. The content published by the Department (texts, photographs, videos, etc.) is protected by the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license (CC BY 4.0). Under this license, any user may use the data and documents published by the Department in compliance with copyright and with the requirement of indicating the source, without prejudice to the right of the Department to safeguard its image in case of improper or harmful use. Images can be used with acknowledgment of the source: Department of Civil Protection - Presidency of the Council of Ministers.
Social content may occasionally be shared on social channels by subjects belonging to the National Service (state administrations, regions, autonomous provinces, prefectures, municipalities, fire departments, armed forces, police, organized civil protection volunteers, the scientific community, operators of essential public services).
The eventual advertising space on the sidelines of the social content published by the Department depends on the managers of the platforms.
4. Privacy and processing of personal data
The privacy policies in force on the platforms used apply to the processing of personal data, as the managers of the services in question are autonomous data controllers in charge of processing personal data according to the general terms and conditions of the contract and data processing accepted by users at the time of subscription.
Any data posted in comments on IT-alert's social media will be removed.
No personal data posted in comments will be collected and processed in databases or other services owned by the Department.