Paris Attack Highlights Tech Companies And Their Roles During Disaster Relief
By Melony Roy
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The tech community did what many people do during a time of emergency, they lent a helping hand.
Tech companies launched into disaster response mode following the Paris attacks which claimed the lives of 132 people.
Facebook activated its safety check website. Friday's attacks marked the first time the company deployed the tool for a situation other than a natural disaster. Facebook says more than 4 million people used the tool to let their friends and family know they were safe and 360 million users received notifications that their friends were okay.
AirBnB contacted all hosts in Paris asking if they could take in those stranded in the city. Google offered free calls to Paris via Hangouts, as did Skype, Verizon and Sprint. Twitter helped people find a place to stay with the hashtag #PorteOuverte and kept the rest of the world informed with constant updates.
Most of these services are not new and have been tested before in Hurricane Sandy or earthquakes.