Facebook activates Safety Check after Orlando shooting

Facebook activated its Safety Check feature Sunday following a mass shooting in Orlando, the worst in U.S. history.

The feature allows users to mark themselves as safe in an emergency situation, or friends of people in the area of a natural disaster or other crisis.

A heavily-armed gunman opened fire on a crowded nightclub in Orlando on Sunday, killing 50 people.

Facebook first used the Safety Check in 2014, focusing on natural disasters including earthquakes in Chile and Nepal. Last year's attacks in Paris marked the first time Facebook used Safety Check for a crisis that was not a natural disaster. The Safety Check was also used in March after the terror attacks in Brussels. 

The giant social media service says it plans to test having users activate Safety Check, not just company staff.

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