Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR) announced Thursday that it has made some important updates to its mobile emergency alert system. Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR) launched its emergency alter system called “Twitter Alerts” in September. It allows participant organizations to send alerts about disasters and emergencies.
How mobile Twitter Alerts works
The microblogging site announced Thursday that its Android and iOS users will be able to subscribe to emergency alerts directly from the participating organization’s Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR) profile. There will be a bell-shaped icon alongside the follow button on the participating organization’s profile page. Users can click on the bell icon to start receiving emergency alerts from that organization. By subscribing to emergency alerts, you will also start following that organization if you were not already doing so.
When there is an emergency alert notification from the organization you have subscribed, an in-app notification will pop-up in your Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR) app. The emergency notifications will be red rather than blue. In your Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR) stream, the alert will appear at the bottom in bright orange color. When the company announced Twitter Alerts in September, over 70 organizations had joined the program. Today, it boasts of more than 120 participant organizations from seven countries, and 50 of them are from the United States.
Twitter Alters reaches seven countries
Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR) also announced that organizations from two more countries, Brazil and Australia, have joined the program. Earlier this week, the San Francisco-based company announced that many state police force, the Red Cross, fire services and other government departments in Australia have joined the program. The participation of Brazilian organizations is also seen as a good step ahead of the World Cup in summer 2014. Visitors from different places will be traveling to see the games. So, the alert system is likely to be useful in an emergency situation.
Currently, organizations from seven countries, (the United States, South Korea, the UK, Japan, Ireland, Australia and Brazil) have officially participated in the program.
Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR) shares gained 0.10% to $57.49 in pre-market trading Friday.
