From our content partner Channel 3000.
MADISON, Wis. — The University of Wisconsin-Madison Police Department will no longer be posting WiscAlert emergency notifications on its Facebook page, officials announced Tuesday.
UWPD said one of the major reasons behind the change is that many of the WiscAlert messages don’t appear in chronological order due to Facebook’s algorithm, which can reduce the effectiveness of messages during emergencies. “This causes confusion for our community – users may see or share outdated information, or may never even see the initial emergency alert,” UWPD said in a post.
Police said another reason for the decision is because of the Facebook comments that often populate the WiscAlert posts. Officials said some of the responses tend to be “problematic and oftentimes create a hostile environment – especially for our underrepresented and marginalized community members.”
UW-Madison students and other community members can still receive WiscAlerts via text message, email and Twitter as well as UWPD’s website and safety app.
To sign up and receive WiscAlerts over text message, text “UWALERT” to 77295.
