In the wake of the Paris terror attacks on Friday evening, Google has introduced a way for people to make international calls to France for free. Via its app #hangouts callers can temporarily communicate with those in France without the normal international fees.
Similarly, Facebook has also launched an initiative in an effort to aid the people of Paris. Their #safetycheck feature, which first rolled out in 2014, allows users to notify friends and family that they are safe using a check option. The feature uses location services to determine which users are in the area of a projected dangerous situation, and those users have access to the check feature. The feature also allows users in the area to safety check those who they are around at the time. This option allows users who do not have access to their accounts to notify their friends of their safety.
Users aound social media have acknowledged that these new features have helped them to communicate with family and friends located in Paris during this tragic time.
