This is a new system that Instagram launched today (June 1st, 2022) to help you find missing children. It’s called AMBER Alert by Instagram.
According to Meta, the alert system allows people to see and share notices of the missing children.
Meta was able to develop this feature in partnership with organizations like the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) in the US, the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children and more.
The chances of finding a missing child increase when more people watch out for the child. The AMBER Alert is designed to be activated by law enforcement and if you’re within the location of the search area, the alert will appear on your Instagram feed.
The alert will include the essential details of the missing child. The information about the child will include photos, location, description, and more to help find the missing child.
You’ll get alerted if a child is missing nearby, the alert system works or alerts you when it discovers that the search area is also the same as your location.
In order to find a nearby Instagram user to alert them about the missing child, Instagram uses much information to make sure the right user is alerted and it’s only for Instagram users within the same search area.
“Instagram is a platform based on the power of photos, making it a perfect fit for the AMBER Alert program. We know that photos are a critical tool in the search for missing children and by expanding the reach to the Instagram audience, we’ll be able to share photos of missing children with so many more people.”
Michelle DeLaune, President and CEO at the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
The AMBER Alert will start rolling out today and it will be available in 25 countries in some few weeks. Some of the 25 countries include Argentina, Canada, Jamaica, Ireland, Mexico, Malaysia, Taiwan, US, UK, South Africa, and more.
According to Meta, this feature was first integrated by Facebook and it has helped a lot of parents find their missing children. We hope this continues to help find missing children everywhere in the world.
