Facebook Safety Check Used For The First Time in a Terrorist Attack

Facebook's safety check is being used, for the first time, as a response to a terrorist attack. 

It's the most prominent example of how social media can instantly bring comfort to people, regardless of where they are in the world. 

Introduced last year as a way for people to quickly inform all of their family and friends at once in the middle of a natural disaster, the feature is being used extensively in the aftermath of the Paris massacre.

Helps Combat the Effects of Terror

The primary objective of a terrorist attack is to spread as much fear and terror as possible. Safety Check - for the first time - has been deployed as a way to counter that. People who are safe in Paris, at the click of a button, can let everyone know that they are safe.

If the person is injured, a friend can send out the message on their behalf.

The result is a reduction in worry and anxiety, working against the objectives of the perpetrators, and providing a much needed sense of security and connectivity.

Facebook decides

The interesting thing about Facebook's Safety Check is that Facebook itself decides when this feature will be deployed. You won’t see safety check unless there is a serious crisis in the world.

Clearly, the powers that be at Facebook have determined that the Paris attack is worthy of this feature.

The technology was intended to be used for natural disasters such as earthquakes, and was a special project at Facebook in the wake of the tsunami that hit Japan in 2011.

Social Media for the good

There are a lot of negative things expressed about social media. How it's ruining the lives of our young people, taking away their ability to interact socially in the real world. Social media causes accidents as people drive while checking their phone. People have killed themselves over hateful comments on social media.

But here and now - we see the good side of this amazing technology.

Nothing is ever all bad. Facebook is showing that social media, despite all of its challenges and negative implications - can, and is, being used for the good of the planet.

Mark Zuckerberg, you're okay.

NOV 16, 2015 UPDATE:

After first publishing this post, some people asked Mark Zuckerberg why he did not introduce safety check for the victims in Beirut, Africa and elsewhere. Here is Mark's response:

"You are right that there are many other important conflicts in the world. Until yesterday, our policy was only to activate Safety Check for natural disasters. We just changed this [policy] and now plan to activate Safety Check for more human disasters going forward as well."