How data is helping Facebook provide disaster management maps?

Facebook’s Data for Good initiative aims to use the vast amounts of data the social network gets to help in various humanitarian issues. Important amongst these is working on disaster management and relief, and the company has worked with Indian organisations like SEEDS India, Wadhwani AI and more in the same direction. Mint spoke to Alex Pompe, Research Manager at Facebook to understand how these technologies work. Edited excerpts.

Is Facebook’s user-base in India vast enough across the country to help with disaster management efforts?

If there are fewer than 10 unique Facebook users in a 0.6 square kilometre radius, we do not show that data because it would put the identification of a user at risk.