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France terror attack: Facebook activates Safety Check tool

Facebook on Friday turned on its Safety Check feature after a large truck mowed through a crowd celebrating Bastille Day in Nice, France, killing at least 80 people.

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Tiava Banner was separated from her eight-month-old son after the mayhem.

Posting a picture of the infant, she wrote: “We have lost BB 8 months”. But when it posted an Instagram video showing graphic footage of the victims, many considered it had overstepped the mark.

The tool was introduced last year and widely used during the April Nepal quake, as well as the Paris attacks earlier this year.

Facebook has already activated its safety check feature for the attack, but the social network has been criticised for another part of its service.

The tool allows users in the region to let their friends and family know they are safe, and is also a way for others to find out if people they know are unharmed.

The feature was activated in early June after the deadly attack on a Florida night club that claimed the lives of 49 people. It activated the tool again about two weeks later after a terror attack at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport.

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Safety Check automatically sends Facebook users in an affected area a note asking if they’re safe.

Facebook shows disconnection from users in posting graphic video of Bastille Day attack [Update]