The anti-abuse bracelets were going to be a technical solution to a social problem. They are generating a chaos of incidents

A recent technical failure in Spain's Cometa system, which manages anti-maltrato bracelets, has highlighted critical issues in the use of technology to address social problems. The incident, which caused a service overload, led to the activation of emergency protocols to ensure the safety of the approximately 4,500 women who rely on the devices. This underscores the challenges of implementing digital solutions without robust infrastructure and comprehensive testing. The failure originated in a router responsible for distributing alert messages based on different incidents, such as entering exclusion zones or low battery. Approximately 10% of these messages have caused recurring issues, leading to system crashes. The system outage began at 4:30 AM and was not fully restored until 9:00 PM, with critical services like the panic button and emergency calls remaining operational. The implications of this failure are significant, as they affect the safety and security of vulnerable individuals. The Ministry of Equality activated an emergency protocol, informing users via text messages and alerting law enforcement to increase surveillance. This incident raises concerns about the reliability of digital solutions in critical applications and the need for rigorous testing and redundancy in such systems. This incident underscores the importance of a holistic approach when deploying digital solutions, particularly in sensitive areas like personal safety. It also highlights the need for a robust technical infrastructure and comprehensive contingency plans to mitigate the risks associated with technological failures.