SEATTLE — Instagram has rolled out a new feature that will notify users when an Amber Alert is issued in their area.
The alerts will appear in users’ feeds and include details about the missing child, as well as photos and the location of the abduction.
If an Instagram user thinks they have seen the missing child, they can click on a link in their feed to call police in the area.
The alerts can also be shared with friends to spread the word.
According to Instagram’s parent company, Meta, the alerts will be rare and specific to the search area.
Instagram uses the city listed on a user’s profile, their IP address and location services to target the alerts to people in the search area.
The feature rolled out on Wednesday and will be available in 25 countries in the next few weeks.
Amber Alerts launched on Facebook in 2015.
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