Japan May Use Twitter for Emergency 'Calls'

Last year’s devastating 8.9 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami overtook Japan, toppling buildings, causing widespread power outages and clogging up the phone lines. As victims struggled to communicate with loved ones, they turned to Twitter, the last reliable method of communication they had.
Now, Japan is considering standardizing Twitter’s use for emergency communications. During a government panel in Tokyo Tuesday, Twitter Japan head James Kondo tweeted he hoped users would soon be able to place emergency calls on the network, PC World reports.
It’s not a new notion for Kando, whose company has been updating the Twitter Japan blog in recent weeks with tips for tweeting in the event of an emergency.
“If your circumstances allow, please add #survived to your tweets. This will help when family and friends that are worried about you search on your welfare,” says one entry, translated by PC World.


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