Facebook Mistakenly Send Safety Check Warnings About the Lahore Bombing Worldwide
 |
| BBC |
Thanks for the concern Facebook but Wrexham and Pakistan really aren't in the same area pic.twitter.com/VADIH4gudB— cam (@camvallen) 27 March 2016
This brutal, abhorrent attack certainly warranted Facebook's 'Safety Check' feature, just perhaps not quite on the scale it ended up spanning. People as far flung as Australia, Europe and the Americas were asked to mark themselves safe, as Facebook had detected that they were dangerously close to the site of the explosion.
Facebook's errant "explosion" texts, which don't even specify "Pakistan," are even worse than the app/browser issue. pic.twitter.com/175rCOaIVM— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) 27 March 2016
The real issue was that the messages didn't necessarily specify which 'explosion' it was on about, likely alarming, or even panicking the recipient. Facebook posted an official apology, citing the issue as a 'bug', but offering no further clarity beyond that.
We activated Safety Check today in Lahore, Pakistan, after an explosion that took place there. We hope the people in the...
Posted by Disaster Response on Facebook on Sunday, 27 March 2016
This isn't the first time the feature has landed Facebook in hot water. It was used during the Paris attacks, but not for the bombings in Beirut which had occurred the previous day. The argument they used at the time was that the feature was only effective for single, isolated incidents in its current form, rather than any kind of ongoing conflict. Even so, they pledged to be more even-handed with it going forward.
The biggest lesson to be learned from this is that the safety check should always specify the location in the message, regardless of whether it's sent via text, notification or whatever else. It's hard to say whether the bug had any negative impact on the feature's use in the actual danger area, but it seems unlikely, since anyone mistakenly marked as nearby would have to have been either very stupid or kind of evil to then mark themselves safe (ie nearby) and throw the whole thing out of whack.
Callum is a film school graduate who is now making a name for himself as a journalist and content writer. His vices include flat whites and 90s hip-hop. Follow him @Songbird_Callum
Contact us on Twitter, on Facebook, or leave your comments below. To find out about social media training or management why not take a look at our website for more info: TheSMFGroup.com
Facebook Mistakenly Send Safety Check Warnings About the Lahore Bombing Worldwide
Reviewed by Unknown
on
Tuesday, March 29, 2016
Rating:
Reviewed by Unknown
on
Tuesday, March 29, 2016
Rating:
Unknown
Keeping you up to date on social media, digital marketing, apps, news & reviews. Social media, and digital marketing as a whole, are rapidly and constantly changing, adapting to new developments at an ever increasing rate. Just keeping up to date can be a nightmare. Our team of writers know their field, and keep an ear to the ground. We aim to keep you informed of all recent developments in the online world, and teach you a little something along the way. So whether you just want to stay connected, or gain some knowledge for yourself, the Social Songbird will keep on singing! More articles are posted every day so keep checking back! Join the discussion on Twitter - #SocialSongbird Or contact us directly - @SocialSongbird_
Entrepreneur, international speaker on Social Media Marketing. First one in the UK to write and speak in conferences about Twitter as a marketing tool. Consultant to Corporate Companies, Government Organizations, Marketing Managers and Business Owners.
Aspiring novelist with a passion for fantasy and crime thrillers. He hopes to one day drop that 'aspiring' prefix. He started as a writer and soon after he was made Executive Editor and Manager of the team at Social Songbird. A position he held for 5 years.
Adrienne is a passionate writer with experience in editing, content creation, and social media marketing. She’s a lover of animals, helping others improve their writing, and 2000s pop culture.
Musician, audio technician, professional tutor and a Cambridge university English student. Interested in writing, politics and obsessed with reading.
Recently graduated with a BA in English Literature from the University of Exeter, and he is about to study an MA in Journalism at the University of Sheffield. He is an aspiring journalist and novelist; in his free time he enjoys playing chess, listening to music and taking long walks through nature.
Lucy is an undergraduate BSc Politics and International Relations student at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Anna Coopey is a 4th year UG student in Classics at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. She is a keen writer and researcher on a number of topics, varying from Modern Greek literature to revolutionary theory.
Ellie is a recent BA English Literature graduate and aspiring publisher with a passion for writing. Her favourite pastimes include reading and shopping.