Facebook Will Activate Safety Check Feature For More Human Disasters

Following terrorists attacks in Paris on Friday that killed 129 people and injured 352, Facebook activated its Safety Check feature to let users inform their friends and family that they were safe.

While more than 4 million people used Facebook's Safety Check feature post Paris Friday attacks, others criticized the social networking giant alleging that it turned on the safety feature for Paris but not for the twin suicide bombing that killed more than 40 in Beirut on Thursday.

"Many people have rightfully asked why we turned on Safety Check for Paris but not for bombings in Beirut and other places," noted Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg addressing the issue in a post on the social network, reported Huffington Post.

"Until yesterday, our policy was only to activate Safety Check for natural disasters. We just changed this and now plan to activate Safety Check for more human disasters going forward as well."

"Thank you to everyone who has reached out with questions and concerns about this. You are right that there are many other important conflicts in the world," Zuckerberg added.

 "We care about all people equally, and we will work hard to help people suffering in as many of these situations as we can."

Facebook's Vice President of Growth, Alex Schultz, also explained the company's decision to activate the tool in Paris in a separate post on Friday, reported Mashable.

"Facebook became a place where people were sharing information and looking to understand the condition of their loved ones. We talked with our employees on the ground, who felt that there was still a need that we could fill. So we made the decision to try something we've never done before: activating Safety Check for something other than a natural disaster. There has to be a first time for trying something new, even in complex and sensitive times, and for us that was Paris," Schultz wrote.

Schultz said Facebook is working on to change its policy regarding when to activate the safety tool. He also said Facebook will "continue to explore how we can help people show support for the things they care about through their Facebook profiles."

The social networking giant launched its Safety Check tool after the 2011 tsunami in Japan. The tool allows users in affected areas to send a notification to their family and friends that they are safe.

 The safety tool was activated during earthquakes in Nepal, Chile and Afghanistan, as well as Typhoon Ruby and Tropical Cyclone Pam.