Facebook set to release AMBER alert messages in Australia

Facebook will soon be rolling out missing children alert notifications in Australia.

The Amber alert system is often used by law enforcement authorities to send crucial and timely information about suspected abduction victims to the public in the hope tip-offs will help lead them to the child.

Police send out alerts to media outlets who are instructed to broadcast the information frequently. They are intended for time-critical situations where a child is reasonably expected to have been taken and could be in danger.

The Facebook alert will look similar to a normal post in your news feed, but it will ideally include a photograph of the child, a registration number for any vehicle linked to the case and a contact number for authorities. You won’t be able to comment on the post or react but can “share” it to your page or visit a missing person poster through a “learn more” link. The post will appear as the second item in your news feed, reports 9 news.

Any user known by Facebook to be within a 160 kilometre radius of where a child is reasonably suspected of having been abducted will be notified. The search zone will change if there a “credible sighting” of the child elsewhere.

Facebook says the system will be used for children considered to be at the highest level of risk, where police know they have useful information to share with the public. It will also be up to police to provide Facebook with the information quickly.

What a great system to put in place.

What other alert systems would you like to see Facebook put in place?

Share your comments below.

17 Comments

- - mom94125 said
  - 05 Oct 2017
    11:37 pm
this could be very useful and helpful in the future

- - june11 said
  - 10 Jul 2017
    9:13 pm
I hope these are being done via specific Police sites – not by any other method.

- - mom19782016 said
  - 25 Jun 2017
    5:12 pm
Well, there are enough people starting at their screens, I hope this will help

- - robyn_smithwick said
  - 24 Jun 2017
    11:12 pm
This is an excellent idea.

- - Rachell88 said
  - 24 Jun 2017
    6:13 pm
I think it’s a great idea. So many people use social media these days, this system could save lives.

- - BellaB said
  - 23 Jun 2017
    9:08 pm
I think this is good, especially if the information comes from the police.

- - mom93821 said
  - 23 Jun 2017
    6:29 pm
Amber Alert seems to be a good program.

- - mom160421 said
  - 23 Jun 2017
    1:13 pm
I don’t use Facebook but I think this is a good idea.

- - Ellen said
  - 23 Jun 2017
    3:42 am
Great move !

- - cherz said
  - 22 Jun 2017
    8:34 pm
Saw this on the project earlier …wonderful idea.

- - mom90758 said
  - 22 Jun 2017
    3:08 pm
This is a wonderful idea! Will it automatically appear in our news feed or do we need to like the Australian Federal Police Facebook page first?
- mom252619 replied
  
  22 Jun 2017 , 4:25 pm
  no need to like the facebook page, these alerts willmbe automatically be sent out to people who are within a 160km radius of the alleged abduction point
  - mom90758 replied
    
    23 Jun 2017 , 3:29 pm
    
    Really love it. I’m sure it will help a lot. Thanks for your answer!!
  - mom93821 replied
    
    27 Jun 2017 , 7:11 am
    
    Awesome and full of knowledge community.
- - mom206279 said
  - 22 Jun 2017
    1:51 pm
This is a great idea. Surprised they didn’t do it sooner.

- - nealsq said
  - 22 Jun 2017
    1:42 pm
This is great, social media has done some incredible things in helping locate missing people

- - mom62990 said
  - 22 Jun 2017
    1:33 pm
Great idea most people are on Facebook several times a day
This will hopefully help