Facebook activated its Safety Check feature Tuesday morning, following explosions around Brussels. The option allows users in a tragedy or natural disaster to mark themselves as safe, and was widely used — and praised — after the Paris shootings attacks last November.
Brussels Airport was the scene of at least two explosions Tuesday morning, with another blast at a nearby subway station. The threat level in Brussels has been raised to high, all public transport has been shut down and residents have been advised to stay home.
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With phone networks down, social media users pleaded with Facebook to turn on the Safety Check tool in order to facilitate communication between people searching for news from loved ones. The social media giant faced scrutiny Tuesday after failing to activate the safety feature right away.