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Paris and Nigeria Terrorist Attacks Prompts Facebook To Rolls Out Safety Check

by Milicent Atieno
Paris and Nigeria Terrorist Attacks Prompts Facebook To Rolls Out Safety Check

Facebook has launched a new feature dubbed Safety Check, following the terrorist attack that rocked Paris, France last Friday night leaving at least 129 people dead. This new feature is meant for allowing users that could be possibly trapped in tragic events let their family and friends know whether or not they are alright.

The social network’s CEO and Founder, Mark Zuckerberg says the Safety Check feature was developed to address the need for faster information given people turned to social media to check up status updates on their loved one’s timeline to check if they are okay. Going forward, Facebook will enable that feature in other world regions to enable users to use the feature during such tragic events.

The next place to get the Safety Check feature is Nigeria, a country that has seen an even more gruesome terrorist attack and for an even more extended period. The terror attack in this West African nation is being perpetrated by the Boko Haram Islamists militia group. The group carried out their latest attack on November 17th evening in the Nigerian city of Yola. This attack left at least 32 people dead and 80 more hurt by a bomb explosion at a fruit and vegetable market in Yola. You can get more information about the Nov. 17th terrorist attack in Nigeria at this link.

How Facebook Safety Check Feature WorksParis and Nigeria Terrorist Attacks Prompts Facebook To Rolls Out Safety Check

The Safety Check feature is meant to let your friends and family know that you are safe if a tragic event happens to take place at your present location. It will also enable you to check on others if you suspect they could be in the location where the tragic event is taking place. The feature will put up an update in your timeline and tell your Facebook friends about your safety.

When you activate the Safety Check feature, when a natural disaster or a tragic event takes place in you location. You will get a Facebook notification asking you about your safety. The social network will determine whether or not you are in the affected area by first checking if you have listed the city in your profile. It will then check your last known location depending on whether or not you have opted for the Nearby Friends feature or using the Internet connection in your current city.

If Facebook gets your location wrong, you can mark the Safety Check as you’re outside the affected area. If you are in the affected area but you are out of harm’s way, you can select ‘I’m Safe’ and Facebook will send out a notification and News Feed update letting your friends know you are okay.

If you suspect your friends could be in the affected area, and you have activated the Safety Check feature. You will get a notification about their safety when they mark themselves as being safe. When you click on the notification, it will take you to the Safety Check bookmark where you will see a list of updates made by your friends in the affected area.

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