Meta has announced that it is bringing Amber Alerts to Instagram. The update began rolling out on 1 June, and will be available in 25 countries, including South Africa.

Meta worked with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in the US and other organisations worldwide to bring the feature to Instagram. Amber Alerts, named for kidnapped and murdered child Amber Hagerman, have been available on Facebook since 2015. The company says its inclusion on the platform has helped find hundreds of missing children.

“We know that photos are a critical tool in the search for missing children and by expanding the reach to the Instagram audience, we’ll be able to share photos of missing children with so many more people,” said Michelle DeLaune, NCMEC president and CEO.

How it works

Amber Alerts send info about abducted children to the specific area where the child was last seen. If active and you’re in the area, this info pops up on your Instagram feed. It includes information such as images, descriptions, last known locations, and anything else relevant. The alert comprises a button allowing users to report sightings to law enforcement. Information is also shareable so Instagram users can spread the alert further.

If you do see an Amber Alert, there is an ongoing investigation in your area. You are alerted based on the city you list in your profile, your IP address, and location services — provided they’re all turned on. See? You have to share your location information with Mark Zuckerburg. If you don’t, you’re putting children at risk. You don’t want that, do you?

Amber Alerts on Instagram will be fully rolled out in the next couple of weeks. It will launch in the following countries: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Ecuador, Greece, Guatemala, Ireland, Jamaica, Korea, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Romania, Taiwan, Ukraine, the UK, the United Arab Emirates, US, and South Africa.

Meta says it is working on expanding the feature to more countries in the coming months.