PARIS — After attacks on multiple places in Paris killed more than 100 people Friday, Facebook made it easy for those in the area who were unharmed to let their family and friends know they are safe.
People in the Paris area could mark themselves as safe on Facebook with the “Safety Check” feature, which was rolled out last year. This is the fifth time the social media giant has activated the check after a disaster, but the latest was the first time it was available for an event related to an attack.
Other events that used the Safety Check were the Nepal earthquake in April and the Chile earthquake in August.
“We are shocked and saddened by the events unfolding in Paris,” a Facebook representative said. “Communication is critical in these moments both for people there and for their friends and families anxious for news. People turn to Facebook to check on loved ones and get updates which is why we created Safety Check and why we have activated it for people in Paris.”
Learn more about the Safety Check feature.