Instagram launches 'AMBER Alerts' to help look for missing children

AMBER Alerts by Instagram would allow individuals to see and share alerts of missing children in their specified location.

Instagram announces the launch of AMBER Alerts, which would allow individuals to see and share alerts of missing children in their region. This feature is created in collaboration with organisations such as the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) in the United States, the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children, the National Crime Agency in the United Kingdom, the Mexican Attorney General's Office, the Australian Federal Police, and others.

With this update, if law enforcement issues an AMBER Notice and one is in the specified search area, the alert will display on the user's Instagram feed.

The alert will include important information about the child, such as a photo, description, location of the abduction, and any other available information. Users may also forward the notice to their friends to help spread the message.

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These alerts are rare and limited to the search area. If the user receives one, it implies an active search for a missing child in that specific area. They use a variety of indications to determine who to show these alerts to, including the city users list on their profile, their IP address, and location services (if users have it turned on).

“Instagram is a platform based on the power of photos, making it a perfect fit for the AMBER Alert program,” said Michelle DeLaune, President and CEO of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. “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.”

The new feature will be released in 25 countries starting this week: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Ecuador, Greece, Guatemala, Ireland, Jamaica, Korea, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Romania, South Africa, Taiwan, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States.