Facebook Launches Safety Check For Times Of Disaster

Facebook, Inc. announced a new service Wednesday that sends users a notification during a disaster to check if they are safe. Their friends and family are then notified that they are alive and well. The Safety Check tool is activated automatically during disasters.

The idea for Safety Check focuses around the fact that families, friends and colleagues are often separated during natural disasters and might be unable to contact each other through normal means of communication. If a user is still able to access the Internet, either through a WiFi hotspot or wireless data, they can let everyone who cares about them know they are fine with one touch of a button. Friends can also make the notification on a user’s behalf.

Safety Check’s development began after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan. The online Disaster Message Board helped people stay connected with family and other loved ones. Facebook representatives recalled the event in the announcement blog post. “Our engineers in Japan took the first step toward creating a product to improve the experience of reconnecting after a disaster. They built the Disaster Message Board to make it easier to communicate with others. They launched a test of the tool a year later and the response was overwhelming.”

In addition to asking you if you are safe, Facebook’s Safety Check also tracks your location and lets your friends know where you are located. If the location system does not work correctly, you can manually set your correct location. Safety Check will soon be available on computers via the web, Android and iOS.