Instagram has announced that it will add Amber Alerts to users' feeds starting today as part of its efforts to aid law enforcement in locating missing children. An Acronym for 'America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response,' AMBER Alerts are authorized by law enforcement and broadcast to the general population via TV, radio stations, text messages and other means to help people locate missing kids across the U.S. Amber Alerts can also be seen on Google if people search for related information in an area where a child went missing or was abducted.
The investigating police agency makes the decision to issue an Amber Alert. It typically includes the name and description of the missing child, a description of the suspected abductor and a description and license plate number of the abductor's vehicle, if applicable. The system was named after Amber Rene Hagerman, a nine-year-old girl abducted and murdered in 1996 in Arlington, Texas. Amber Alerts were launched on Facebook back in 2015, and Meta claims that many children have been rescued following tips by people who saw these Alerts on the platform.
In a press release announcing the launch of Amber Alerts on Instagram, the company said that the feature was developed in association with several law enforcement agencies and child protection organizations worldwide. These included the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) in the U.S., the International Center for Missing & Exploited Children, the National Crime Agency in the U.K., the Attorney General's Office in Mexico, the Australian Federal Police and more.
Amber Alerts On Instagram
As part of the plan, if an Amber Alert is activated by law enforcement, then users in the designated search area will see an Alert in their feed so that they may chip in with leads about the abducted child. The details in the Alert will include a photo of the child, their description, the location of their abduction, and other information, if available. Instagram says that the alerts will be shown to users based on several criteria, including the city listed on their profile, their current IP address and location services if it's turned on.
In a statement, Michelle DeLaune, president and CEO of the NCMEC, said that Instagram is better suited for broadcasting Amber Alerts than almost any other platform as it is "based on the power of photos." She also noted that including Instagram users in the search for missing children would be a big help due to the sheer number of people on the platform. Amber Alerts on Instagram is starting to roll out today and will be fully available in the next couple of weeks in 25 countries, including the U.S., the U.K., Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Jamaica, South Africa and more.
Source: Facebook