Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Facebook Extends AMBER Alerts to Canada

Facebook is bringing AMBER Alerts on missing children to Canada, after launching the feature in the U.S. in January.

In the U.S., when children are abducted and alerts are issued by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, AMBER Alerts appear in the News Feeds of users in targeted search areas, and those alerts include photos and other details about the missing children.

Facebook trust and safety manager Emily Vacher said Facebook has issued some 40 AMBER Alerts in the U.S. since January, resulting in at least one rescue, and she told CTV News:

We’re only going to deliver these alerts to people who may actually be in the search area … So if a child goes missing in Ottawa, people in Toronto won’t see the message.

It’s only going to be people who may have that critical piece of information that will lead to bringing that child home safely.

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She also told The Huffington Post Canada:

We’ve been inspired by people who already use Facebook on their own for this purpose. What we did was really just amplify what was already happening.

According to CTV News, Facebook’s AMBER Alerts will be available in all 10 Canadian provinces, but the country’s territories do not yet have an AMBER Alert system.

Canadian readers: What do you think?

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Facebook Extends AMBER Alerts to Canada

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