Facebook enabled yesterday the “safety check” following the Paris terrors attacks whereas people in the affected area can mark themselves as safe which will send an alert to their friends and followers. The Paris attacks are quite shocking and the death toll is still on the rise unfortunately. All of my friends there are safe but they still can’t believe what’s happening.
Speaking of alerts and attacks, I think it would be quite useful if we have this feature for Beirut and for the Arab World as well. We’ve had over 20 bombings and attacks since 2014 and at least 10 of them were against civilians unfortunately. That way, and since the Facebook penetration in Lebanon is extremely high and lines are usually down after bombings, those who are in the affected area can let their friends and family know that they are safe.
Someone once came up with an app in Lebanon to notify others that you are still alive but Facebook Safety Alert is much more efficient.
Is there someone we can contact about it?
I’m in touch with Facebook about this already. Glad to see this post!
Safety Check For Donbass
Safety Check For Ukraine
Safety Check For Beirut
Sandra Hassan created the App “I Am Alive” after the bombings in 2014.
I am aware of that but it’s not as efficient as Facebook.
The people of Gaza need this too. Please set it up Facebook.
I’m French, and I agree with you. That’s even more important since the Lebanese people are suffering much more from terrorism than us.
Thank you. I hope both the French and Lebanese will never have to use it again
leh ktir mabsouteen ?
I think Facebook does not care much about the safety of third world citizens. Neither does the civilized world. Today countries around the world lighted up their monuments in solidairty of Paris. When was the last time you saw any country show any support for Lebanon? I’m pretty sure the West think we’re a bunch of barbarians who deserve this.
Google too enabled calls free to Paris … and not for others cities ?
Do they take a vote on this ..
Here’s Facebook’s response to questions around why it was activated for Paris and not Beirut.
https://www.facebook.com/fbsafety/posts/930229667014872
Facebook on Saturday sought to tamp down criticism that it had rolled out its widely-used Safety Check feature amid the terrorist attacks in Paris when the social network had not done so during a recent attack in Beirut.
In a Facebook post,Vice President of Growth Alex Schultz outlined how Safety Check was first developed, and said Paris was the first time the feature had been implemented for an event that wasn’t a natural disaster. “There has to be a first time for trying something new, even in complex and sensitive times, and for us that was Paris,” he said.
He also explained why Safety Check has never been applied to a non-natural disaster until now. “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,’” he explained.
The post came as critics pointed out on social media that the outpouring of support following Friday night’s coordinated terror attacks in Paris far outstripped the public sympathy after recent similar attacks in Beirut and Baghdad. At least 41 people were killed and hundreds wounded in a pair of deadly suicide bombings in Beirut on Thursday, and 26 people were killed in a roadside bombing in Baghdad on Friday.
Over four million people used the Safety Check tool to tell their friends they were OK, and over 360 million people got notifications that their friends were safe, Facebook said. Around the world, 78 million people had 183 million interactions relating to the attacks.
Jammed phones = jammed 3G and Jammed LTE (HSPA)
That would require you to be on WiFi, which most likely means your indoor, which most likely means you’re safe.
NB: Totally against the ‘safety check’ feature, anywhere in the world.
بالهام من انجلينا جولي التي تعاطفت مع ما جرى في لبنان تزامنا مع ما حصل في فرنسا والكثيرين غيرها الذين ذكروا انه في لبنان أيضا ضحايا. ..شاب لبناني يصمم تطبيق بساعتين البارحة ردا على مارك ز صاحب فيسبوك الذي شارك الناس منبهجا بطريقة تغيير صورتك للعلم الفرنسي على البروفيل. ..
He said:
“We cannot bear the idea of all the world supporting France and no one supporting Lebanon.
Pray for all innocent human lives equally. Support Lebanon by adding the Lebanese flag to your photo.
We built this app in 2hrs on a Saturday night as initiative trying to help & support Lebanon “Equally” TEDMOB TEAM
Take a look at “I Support Lebanon” – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tedmob.photoflag
As soon as I saw the Facebook check-in for Paris yesterday I wondered the same thing. Facebook needs to realise that if it’s going to enable this feature for attacks (like it has for Paris) then it must expand it outside of Europe/North America; it needs to be global and be available for people everywhere.
Some lives matter, some not so much!
Sorry, it’s in french, but i photoshoped the terrorist alert app to show its hypocrisy, replacing buttons with “i”m in shit” and “nobody cares”.
I’m french and i feel ashamed that we are the only country being cried by the others.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10206754729538347
I’m french and used to live in the street were the first shootings take place. I know it is just a very small voice but even with the terrible events in Paris, some french did not forget the tragedy in Beirut. All lives matter…
I only can share this post from the lebanese band “Wanton Bishops” who was playing in France last friday:
“Last night we played in Normandy, France, the last show of our 2015 tour, an hour after the terrible attacks in Paris. The night before, our dearest Beirut was down!
THIS model of fake democracy is an utter failure. Innocent everyday people are paying the bloody price of governments decisions, elected but not necessarily representative governments, completely oblivious of their peoples’ needs and mostly abiding by greedy corporate agendas.
Something HAS to fucking change!!!
Life is cheap, ignorance is blinding, youth is exploited, religion is misused and abused, the world is going mad, and the music is sad..
A frenzied crowd is burning the nation
Mutter a few words and incantations,
Blood stained buck runs law and order
You gotta run with me across the border,
Time to go, it’s time to know!
Unfortunately, these lyrics turned out to be terrifyingly prophetic.
The show MUST go on, we’ve been told.
What else?
Sleep well angels, in Beirut, Paris, and all over the world.”
it IS AN ISRAELI INVENTION and FB knows that this is not tolerate in an arab country.