The timelines of Facebook users will now have Amber alerts, which will help find missing children in areas near them. In coalition with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Facebook will start sending alerts to the mobile phones of users if they are in an area where a child has gone missing. Many people are already using Facebook as a tool to find lost children in family and friend circles.
It is also widely being used to find lost pets by pet parents by sharing information and photographs on the wide social network. In March last year, a 11-year-old girl who had gone missing was found in a South Carolina motel room when a motel clerk called police after seeing an Amber Alert on Facebook.
“For most people, these alerts will be rare because they will only go to people who are in a position to help – those specifically within the designated search area,” Emily Vacher, Facebook safety, trust and security manager, said in a statement. “If you get an alert on Facebook it means there is an active search for a missing child going on around you. The alert will provide the critical information you need to potentially help reunite a child with his or her family.”
The humble initiative ensures public safety said New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman saying, “Today’s announcement shows that responsible technology companies can use innovation not only to protect their own users, but also to enable users to help their own communities.”
Amber Alerts provide information about missing children. The alerts also include photographs to find resemblance. Google and Bing have also recently added Amber alerts. Facebook will uniquely provide sharing options, which will reach a greater number of people. It will also have a live link, which will provide up-to-the-minute information about the case.
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