Mark Zuckerberg clarifies why safety feature was not activated during Beirut attack

Mumbai: Several people from all around the world had changed their Facebook profile pictures to show the French flag, as a sign of solidarity and support towards the victims of the terrorist attacks on Friday.

However, the social media giants have received a lot of flak over the past two days, as the same option wasn’t available for Beirut, Lebanon where suicide bombings claimed approximately 43 lives and left more than 200 injured.

Prominent figures and individuals from all over the world are pointing out that the ignorance on the part of the social media giants clearly portrayed a bias towards France, and totally ignoring Lebanon.

Moreover, Facebook users in Paris were able to mark themselves safe after the attack, which claimed around 129 lives and several others injured. However, the people who survived the dual bombings in Beirut a day before did not have any such option.

Here is how people reacted on Twitter after the issue came into light:

Where were the Lebanese flag avatars when 43 died in a double suicide bombing the day before the Paris attack? https://t.co/RHeshyMEW5

— Steve Silberman (@stevesilberman) November 16, 2015

I'm a bit jarred by how Beirut and Baghdad have been so instantly eclipsed. I hope #AdelTermos won't be forgotten. https://t.co/k2yAQ4qkSa

— Molly Wood (@mollywood) November 14, 2015

Dear Facebook: Why no button in Beirut, like Paris, to let terror attack survivors tell loved ones they are safe? https://t.co/TT68ZoSWEL

— David Beard (@dabeard) November 14, 2015

Where are the flag filters for Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine and Pakistan? Why don’t countries light up their cities in support for them?

— E.H (@itserikahanson) November 15, 2015

Here is what Mark Zuckerberg posted on Facebook as a reply:

(Source: Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook page)

Zuckerberg cleared the confusion by saying that the safety check policy was only for natural disasters and was changed just after the Beirut attack. He also mentioned that Facebook will now include safety check options for disasters initiated by humans as well.

Clearing all questioned raised against by critics, Zuckerberg said in the post: " We care about all people equally, and we work hard to help people suffering in as many of these situations as possible."