(MSNBC) After successfully making the "relationship status" a significant issue in our lives, Facebook now brings attention (and peer pressure) to something else — our posthumous fate. On Tuesday, the social network announced that users may declare that they are registered organ donors by adding an "organ donor status" to their Timelines. While declaring your donor status on the social network isn't legally binding, Facebook hopes it will inspire people.
Facebook's latest feature is an attempt to save lives by raising "broader awareness about organ donation," according to a press release signed by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and COO Sheryl Sandberg. The two "believe that by simply telling people that you're an organ donor, the power of sharing and connection can play an important role."
In an interview with ABC’s Robin Roberts, Zuckerberg said his girlfriend, medical student Priscilla Chan, as well as his friendship with Apple co-founder Steve Jobs (whose life may have been extended thanks to a liver transplant) inspired him to add the organ donor status feature to Facebook.