Facebook Safety Check alerts users nowhere near Pakistan after Lahore bombing

Facebook’s ‘safety check’ feature has unfortunately been needed more than we would like since it was introduced as a means of enabling people in areas hit by disasters or attacks to let their families and friends know that they’re safe.

But the feature’s algorithm seems to have gone awry today, following an explosion at Lahore Park in Pakistan, which is reported to have killed at least 60 people.

A number of people in the UK and US have received notifications from Facebook saying: “Are you OK? It looks like you’re in the area affected by the explosion in Gulshan-i-Iqbal Park, Lahore, Pakistan. Let friends know that you’re safe.”

The error caused a great deal of confusion among those not in Pakistan who received the notification.