Meta is bringing AMBER Alerts to the photo-sharing app Instagram for the first time.
The update will allow users, including those in Canada, to see and share alerts about missing children in their area.
“With this update, if an AMBER Alert is activated by law enforcement and you are in the designated search area, the alert will now appear in your Instagram feed,” the company stated in a blog post.
Instagram will use several signals, including the city listed on users’ profiles and IP addresses, to determine if there’s an active search in the area.
The alert will include the missing child’s photo, description, location of abduction, and any other information available at the time. Users can share the alert with their followers.
Meta is partnering with several organizations, including the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in the US, the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children, the National Crime Agency in the UK, the Attorney General’s Office in Mexico, and the Australian Federal Police.
The update will also be available to Instagram users in Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Ecuador, Greece, Guatemala, Ireland, Jamaica, Korea, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Romania, South Africa, Taiwan, Ukraine, the UK, the United Arab Emirates and the U.S.
More countries will be added as the program continues to expand.
Image credit: Instagram
Source: Instagram
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