The new Facebook Safety Check lets your friends and family know that you’re safe during a natural disaster, whilst checking whether they’re safe too.
Facebook Safety Check will detect if you’re near a reported disaster such as an earthquake, tornado or flood, and question whether or not you’re safe from harm before relaying that information back to your Facebook friends list.
The new feature will recognize your location using the cities listed in your profile, along with places visited and the area in which you are connected to the internet.
Here’s how the new feature will operate:
- Check Notifications: If it looks like you may be near a natural disaster, we’ll ask whether you’re safe.
- Say That You’re Safe: If it looks like you may be near a natural disaster, we’ll ask whether you’re safe.
- Check on Others: We’ll let you know when friends say that they’re safe. You can also check a list of friends who may be affected by the disaster.
During a disaster it is commonplace for Facebook users to take to the site to check up on their friends and family, and this new feature will ensure that this process will be easier than before. While some may view it as a peculiarly morbid new addition to the social networking site, it’s definitely a swift way for people to put their minds at ease during a crisis.
