Facebook's Amber Alert Feature Will Now Help to Locate Lost Children
Laura McQuarrie — January 14, 2015 — Life-Stages
References: newsroom.fb & gizmodiva
In partnership with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Facebook will now be delivering AMBER Alerts to members of its social networks. In an attempt to make it easier to locate missing children, the feature will be concentrated in people's Facebook News Feeds where a child is reported missing.
By providing photos, alerts and details about the child reported missing, Facebook is able to use its social network to increase awareness as fast as possible, since the first hours a child goes missing are the most critical. On individual feeds, people will be able to share the alerts, as well as given information about who to get in touch with if they have relevant information to share.
In the past, Facebook has been successful with helping to recover lost children, such as a case in 2014 where an 11-year-old was located after an AMBER Alert was shared. Now that this more dedicated feature is in place, hopefully missing kids will be able to be found even faster.
By providing photos, alerts and details about the child reported missing, Facebook is able to use its social network to increase awareness as fast as possible, since the first hours a child goes missing are the most critical. On individual feeds, people will be able to share the alerts, as well as given information about who to get in touch with if they have relevant information to share.
In the past, Facebook has been successful with helping to recover lost children, such as a case in 2014 where an 11-year-old was located after an AMBER Alert was shared. Now that this more dedicated feature is in place, hopefully missing kids will be able to be found even faster.
Trend Themes
1. Social Amber Alerts - Using social networks to deliver AMBER Alerts in real-time, increasing awareness and aiding in the search for missing children.
2. Increased Accessibility - Leveraging popular social media platforms like Facebook to ensure that AMBER Alerts reach a wider audience, maximizing the chances of locating missing children.
3. Collaborative Efforts - Partnering with organizations like the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to create a unified system in utilizing social media for missing child search efforts.
Industry Implications
1. Social Media - Social media platforms can integrate features that aid in public safety, like delivering AMBER Alerts, to enhance user experience and promote social responsibility.
2. Child Safety - Technological advancements and collaborations between organizations play a crucial role in preventing child abductions and aiding in the swift recovery of missing children.
3. Public Safety - Incorporating technology into public safety initiatives, such as spreading AMBER Alerts through social media, can optimize the chances of protecting and recovering missing individuals.
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