Facebook is set to roll out new changes to its Safety Check feature that will, among other things, consolidate all disaster-related data as well as information on where to ask for or provide assistance during crisis in a single place. On its own Facebook page created for disaster response efforts, the social media giant confirmed that it has updated the safety solution by launching a dedicated tab for Safety Check where you can easily and quickly check in to let your family and friends know you are safe in the event of a man-made or natural disaster, extend help to those who need it, find aid whenever necessary, and search for more relevant information about the crisis in question.
Facebook’s Disaster Response page explains that the Safety Check tool will be visible to all your friends after you have previously switched it on so that they are able to receive information about your safety status. If they see that you are in serious danger from a flood, terror attack, earthquake, or other forms of calamity, your Facebook friends might be able to seek assistance for you. Also according to Facebook, its more than two billion users will begin to see the dedicated tab for Safety Check over the coming weeks.
Launched in 2015 as a part of a wider effort to extend help to earthquake victims in Nepal, the tool was initially intended as a response solution only for natural disasters, though the Menlo Park, California-based company expanded the feature’s scope to cover terrorist attacks and other crises. In March of this year, Facebook activated the feature after confirming that it did exist, enabling the solution for those affected by a terrorist attack in Brussels, Belgium. The company also added the Community Help tool to the Safety Check feature last February to provide a communications center for communities affected by a disaster. The goal was to help coordinate relief efforts, among others, and Facebook is expected to release more improvements to Safety Check in the future, but this seems to be a good start to making it more readily accessible to its collective of users.