Facebook Launches an Emergency “Check-In” Tool: Safety Check

As Twitter has its emergency alert system, and Google offers a crisis response resource, Facebook has recently launched an emergency check-in tool, called Safety Check. Safety Check provides a “a simple and easy way to say you’re safe and check on others” on Facebook in a natural disaster.

Facebook launched this new tool saying that:

“In times of disaster or crisis, people turn to Facebook to check on loved ones and get updates. It is in these moments that communication is most critical both for people in the affected areas and for their friends and families anxious for news.”

Safety check is available globally on Android, iOS, feature phones and desktop, and enables Facebook users to let their family and friends know that they’re safe if they’re in or around an area impacted by some sort of natural disaster.

How Facebook’s Safety Check works

During a natural disaster, the tool is automatically activated. If Facebook determines that you’re in or near the hot zone (it does this by looking at the city listed in your profile, looking at the last location you posted from, and by looking at the city where your internet connection is coming from), it will automatically send you a push notification asking if you’re OK.

When you receive this notification you have two options:

1. Tell Facebook that they got your location wrong (if it has); or
2. Select “I’m safe” if you’re in the hot zone and are, in fact, safe.

If you mark that you’re safe, the tool will automatically generate a Facebook status update saying so and post it to your timeline. Only your friends will be able to see this update. Likewise, your friends can also report you as safe.

From there, your Facebook friends will receive a notification announcing your safety.

A good initiative on Facebook’s part

I think this tool is a great initiative. As 500 million people actively use Facebook and more than 250 million people use the social network from their mobile device (stat from end of 2013); and as a person’s mobile device is said to never be more than 3 feet away from their body at all times; I think that this tool can prove to provide a lot of peace of mind to loved ones in an emergency. However, we have to remember that this is a personal tool and will only work if the phone has power and if cell service has not been affected by the natural disaster. But, as with everything, there are pros and cons when it comes to using mobile technology in an emergency.

That said, I still think that this is a great and socially responsible initiative on behalf of Facebook.

Here’s a video from Facebook that shows you exactly how Safety Check works:

Introducing Safety Check from Facebook on Vimeo.