Facebook Activates Safety Check Tool after Brussels Attacks

Facebook has activated its Safety Check Tool as a response to the attacks that recently took place in Brussels. This is the second time that the social media giant has made the tool available to the public, as the first time was back in November when Paris was struck by similar terrorist attacks. The Safety Check Tool allows people to stay in touch in these moments of crisis, and most importantly, it allows them to tell their contacts that they are safe. The Red Cross has offered a similar online tool, which allowed users to say that they’re safe or to try to find others. However, Google’s Person Finder did not appear to be active. The internet has become an important tool in a time where attacks can come out of nowhere and take us completely by surprise.

That’s why the Belgian government actually turned to Twitter in order to inform the public about various closures, and in order to encourage them to use internet communications instead of telephone-based services. Apart from helping people reach out to one another, the internet also makes sure that these attacks receive widespread coverage. The UK police even asked those who have photos and videos of the bombings to upload them to its website in order to aid in the investigation. Even though Facebook’s effort to help the victims of these attacks is admirable, it’s probably safe to assume that most people actually called or texted their loved ones directly in order to inform them of their situation.