More than 4 million people used Facebook ‘Safety Check’ after Paris attacks

Facebook introduced a new feature called “Safety Check” immediately after the Islamic attacks in Paris on Friday, Nov. 13 that took at least 129 lives. Since then, more than four million people have used the feature to reach out to their near and dear ones.

The social networking giant updated its Safety Check policy to help people let their friends and family members know if they're doing well or require any assistance. The Facebook app notices if the user is located in Paris and ask them whether they're safe or not. The "Safety Check" tool will then notify all the members of the friend list of that person.

Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg clarified the company’s policy is to activate Safety Check for natural disasters. But, considering the importance of the gruesome terror attacks in Paris, Facebook updated the policy and instantaneously activated the “Safety Check” feature.

The tool will enable users to let their friends and family know that there safe, mark friends as secure and check on other friends in the affected area. Facebook’s huge global user base helped people to quickly spread out information across when communication was critical. According to a report in Politico, more than 360 million people across the globe, almost double the population of Paris, were updated through the Facebook ‘Safety Check’ tool that their near and dear ones are safe and sound.

Facebook, however, has been heavily criticised for its prompt action on enabling the "Safety Check"feature following the terrorist attacks on the French capital, but not after the Beirut bombing. Just before the horrifying terrorist attacks in Paris, Beirut, saw 43 people dead in twin Isis suicide blasts.

There are many users on Twitter, as well, raising questions on why Facebook didn't take steps after the Beirut attacks. To show solidarity with victims, Facebook also provided users an option to change their profile pictures with an overlay of colours of the France's flag.

“We care about all people equally, and we will work hard to help people suffering in as many of these situations as we can,” reconfirmed Zuckerberg following the criticism .

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