A fake news article claiming that a bomb had gone off in Bangkok led to Facebook's Safety Check feature being activated today, as users on the social media network shared news of the non-existent explosion. 

Facebook announced last month that its Safety Check feature would henceforth be triggered automatically once its algorithm detected trending news and posts by people in a particular area. 

But the algorithm got tangled in the fake news web this time round, after Facebook users in Bangkok began sharing an article about an alleged explosion that had just happened, according to The Verge.

At first glance, the article appeared to be a BBC News item. But closer examination revealed the article to be a fake based on a genuine news item about the Erawan Shrine bombing that was first published by the Bangkok Informer in 2015. 

The Safety Check feature remained active for just over an hour before Facebook deactivated it. 

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