Facebook launches a new tool local alerts for an emergency that provide life-saving information to the users at any eligible Facebook Page in the US by the end of the year.
Facebook has been testing this tool since early 2018 with local authorities across the country.
This tool helps people to communicate in urgent times, to know information when it directly affects people in their communicates.
It sends notifications to people living in the affected area, also this information shows on today.
There is a new place on Facebook for local news, and you will see the local alert indicator next to the post in new feeds.
Facebook already had a tool called safety check, that provides to users reassure their families in emergency times.
Shane Reichardt at RivCoReady, who recently used local alerts to evacuate people during a flood, had this to say:
“People are more connected than ever yet at times it can be harder to reach everyone in the community during emergencies. Local alerts help the County of Riverside reach more people with our messages. Combined with other alerts we send, Facebook’s local alerts are a great tool to help us deliver vital information to people who need it most.”
According to reuters in one example, when a disgruntled student opened fire during the last day of classes at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in April, the City of Charlotte Government’s Facebook page sent a Local Alert notifying nearby residents when it was safe to return.
The alert was posted more than two hours after the shooting, said Ken Brown, Charlotte’s Interim Media Relations Manager.
On another side, facebook faced international criticism, that facebook becomes a platform for terrorism and extremist views.
A few months ago there is a terrorist accident in New Zealand, the terrorist was a live video stream on facebook during the attack and facebook didn’t stop the live video stream.
Facebook trying with the new local alert tool, to send a good message that Facebook is a platform to connect friends and families.
