It can happen to the best of us, and this week it happened to the BBC – with test messages on the app’s alert services pushed to millions of app users.
The BBC apologised after making the error, which saw the broadcaster sending two test breaking news alerts in error to its app subscribers on Apple’s iOS platform.
The broadcaster sent a couple of bizarre push notifications via its app, which is used to give millions of its users breaking news.
What looks to be an obvious error or hack, the app alert said:
“NYPD Twitter campaign backfires after hashtag hijacked. Push sucks! Pull blows! BREAKING NEWS No nudity in latest episode of Game of Thrones!! MORE BREAKING NEWS IIIIII like testing”
The BBC issued another alert shortly afterwards apologising for the initial alert: “We apologise for previous two push notifications from BBC News which were sent in error.”
The BBC said it had not been hacked- rather it was a simple error of sending a test message to the wrong subscriber list.
“We’ve been in the process of testing new functionality for our apps and a test message was sent in error this morning,” a spokesman said. “We apologise to our app users who were unnecessarily interrupted with the alert.”
Push alerts for users of BBC News mobile apps, on iOS and Android, were introduced in July 2013. App users receive alerts when there are major breaking news stories.