Facebook’s functions as a tool for sharing information on emergencies now include more than just “Safety Check”.
Zuckerberg has announced that the social network will introduce a new “Crisis Response” hub that will help users of the platform to find out about natural disasters, terrorist attacks and other events that affect people all over the world.
This will effectively be an updated version of the Safety Check that was presented last month.
In the new section of the app and the website, Facebook users can view pictures, videos and updates about specific events. This content will be taken from public posts to “help people find out more about a crisis,” according to Facebook. In the next phase, the new hub will also be useful for mobilising aid in the case of catastrophic events (Community Help and a fundraising tool).
The new Crisis response function follows on from the mobilisation after the Harvey hurricane, where Zuckerberg himself invited users of the social network to make a direct donation for the populations affected. The CEO of Facebook posted that: “We think that this is an important infrastructure to help keep our global community safe. We are investing heavily in building these tools on Facebook. Thank you to everyone for everything you’re doing to keep each other safe”.