Social networking giant Facebook has activated its safety check after Tuesday’s Yola blast left 32 persons dead.
The safety check is a feature that allows users inform their contacts of their safety in case they find themselves in a disaster-hit area.
Safety check was developed on the premise that mobile phone networks often collapse under the strain of too many people using it during disaster period, so it can save friends and families of people who find themselves in a disaster zone from unnecessary worry over their loved one’s safety.
The safety check feature was said to have been activated during the Yola blast because Facebook was criticised for activating the service for the Paris attacks, but not for the Beirut, Lebanon attacks barely 24 hours before.
In a Facebook post announcing the activation of the feature, CEO, Mark Zuckerberg said: “We’ve activated Safety Check again after the bombing in Nigeria this (Tuesday) evening.
“After the Paris attacks last week, we made the decision to use Safety Check for more tragic events like this going forward. We’re now working quickly to develop criteria for the new policy and determine when and how this service can be most useful.”