In the wake of the tragic terrorist attacks that took place in Paris this week, Facebook has attracted controversy and critiscm over its decision to use it’s Safety Check feature on Friday instead of during other events such as Beirut bombings.
The tool, which has been used by more than 4 million people to mark themselves as ‘safe’ in the wake of the attacks, was first developing after the tsunami and following nuclear disaster that befell Japan in 2011.
“In the case of natural disasters, we apply a set of criteria that includes the scope, scale and impact,” Facebook’s Vice President of Growth, Alex Schultz wrote in a Facebook post Saturday. “During an ongoing crisis, like war or epidemic, Safety Check in its current form is not that useful for people: because there isn’t a clear start or end point and, unfortunately, it’s impossible to know when someone is truly ‘safe.'”
Schultz clarified that Facebook has learned from the feedback it received, and will work towards changing its policy as to when the tool would be activated.
Schultz also clarified that Facebook will “continue to explore how we can help people show support for the things they care about through their Facebook profiles.”
What’re your thoughts on Facebook’s Safety Check feature? Should the social network activate the function more regularly, or restrict it to certain criteria? Be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments below!