Facebook's new Safety Check service born from Japan's 2011 quake, tsunami

When the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami struck in March 2011, Facebook Inc. founder Mark Zuckerberg noticed that many users confirmed the safety of their friends and families via the social network.

Zuckerberg, the company's CEO, announced in Tokyo on Oct. 16 that led to the new Facebook Safety Check service, which enables users to check on those on their friends list during a natural disaster.

The new feature was made available to Facebook users across the world on the same day. It marked the first time Facebook has unveiled a new global service at a venue outside the United States.

According to Facebook, the feature will send a safety check message to users living in an area hit by a major disaster. When users select “I am safe,” it will notify those listed as their friends of their safety.