After receiving a backlash for its selective use of the Safety Check feature following the Paris terrorist attacks, as previously reported by HNGN, Facebook has made good on its promise to expand the feature into the realm of human disasters and made it available following the suicide bombing that took place in the Nigerian city of Yola Tuesday, according to BBC News.
"I was one of those that criticized [Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg] when he activated the safety check in Paris despite the fact that Boko Haram has been bombing us in north eastern Nigeria for years, killing thousands of people, yet Facebook didn't deem it fit to activate the safety check," said Maulud Usman, a resident of Yola. "I'm happy he listened to our cries".
Facebook's "Safety Check" was first created during the 2011 Tokyo tsunami and has since been used for various other natural disasters such as the Nepal earthquake, according to TechCrunch. Following the Paris attacks, Facebook is expanding its use to human disasters as well.
"After the Paris attacks last week, we made the decision to use Safety Check for more tragic events like this going forward," said Zuckerberg. "We're now working quickly to develop criteria for the new policy and determine when and how this service can be most useful."
Zuckerberg claims the company will continue to develop the tool and determine when the service is the most useful, according to Time.
