As natural disasters and other kinds of major crises continue to affect large communities in many parts of an increasingly connected world, Facebook is announcing new “Safety Check” technology that will help users let their friends and other contacts know how they are doing in an emergency.
Facebook announced last week that the company is releasing Facebook Safety Check, partially in reaction to the 2011 tsunami and earthquakes in Japan, which the Red Cross estimated affected some 12.5 million residents. Japanese engineers have been at the forefront of developing this online communication tool since 2012, Facebook says. Their Disaster Message Board has developed into Safety Check, which will be available on both Apple and Android platforms and on the conventional desktop-based Facebook site.
A Proactive Resource
Facebook’s Safety Check doesn’t wait for its user to check in; it checks in with its user.
Using algorithms that look for users in areas affected by a disaster, Facebook Safety Check will generate a message on the individual’s phone or device that asks if he or she is safe. The response will be funneled to friends over the platform as Facebook notifications. Only Facebook friends will see the response.
If Facebook determines a user is not in the affected area, but knows someone who is, he or she will receive a message showing key statistics: number of friends in the crisis area, number of friends confirmed safe, and number of those who haven’t checked in yet.
To understand how Facebook’s new Safety Check feature will be useful, think about the chaos following Superstorm Sandy in New York and surrounding states. This storm may have been unprecedented in many respects, but according to CNN, it’s something scientists have identified as part of a possible future trend. Like other features, such as the Facebook Visual News app, Safety Check helps to shuttle information between users in new ways. It illustrates the need to be connected to one another, not just during the happy times, but during the trying times as well.
Do you think Facebook Safety Check will provide peace of mind for its users in times of crisis?
Image courtesy of Morguefile
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