Facebook will now show amber alerts in its news feeds, alerting users to missing or abducted children. The social network launched the venture with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to deliver the information in specific, targeted search areas following an abduction. The alerts will appear on mobile devices and desktops with photos and other pertinent details, allowing users to share or link to the latest info. Facebook said it was inspired to add the alerts after missing children were recovered thanks to information posted independently by users. It cited one example of a motel owner who recognized an 11-year-old girl and helped police recover her unharmed.
Facebook described how it works: When the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children receives an amber alert from police, it's distributed to Facebook, along with photos of the child, license plate numbers, the name and description of the child and abductor and any other relevant info. State and local law enforcement then determine the search area, sending the alerts to your news feed (as shown above). They won't trigger notifications, and most people will only see them a few times a year at most, depending on where they live. The social network now joins Google in highlighting amber alerts, adding an extra 1.2 billion people or so to help spot abducted kids.
Filed under: Internet, Facebook
Source: Facebook
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