The US government is set to conduct a nationwide test of its emergency alert system, which includes the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA). The test is part of a routine check, required by federal law every three years, to ensure the effectiveness of the system in case of a national emergency. Starting at 2:20 pm Eastern Time, phones will receive a test message, and on television and radio, a one-minute message will be broadcast. Despite being a routine procedure, misinformation on social media has led to unfounded conspiracy theories about the purpose of the test. FEMA officials and experts have debunked such claims.