Amid Orlando Attack, Facebook Turns On 'Safety Check' for the First Time in the U.S.

Many in the U.S. only learned when they woke up Sunday what had happened in the early hours of the morning. A gunman had attacked a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, around 2 a.m, and as police rushed to the scene, the number of casualties climbed: 20 dead, then 40, then—according to the most recent count—50 dead, including the shooter, and 53 more injured.

In the midst of the panic and uncertainty following what has become the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history, Facebook activated its “Safety Check” tool for the first time in the country. The feature allows people near the area of a crisis—a mass shooting, for example, or a natural disaster—to mark themselves as “safe” or to share a message that they are unhurt. Facebook then alerts the sender’s friends in the network with a notification. Friends can also check in on one another.