TikTok Launches Missing Child Notifications to Help Locate Lost Kids Faster

In what is being described as one of its first on social media, TikTok has collaborated with NCMEC to bring Amber Alerts to users in real-time. This would be displayed across their For You feeds in America, the platform shared yesterday.

The latest offering means that if and when any Amber Alert is generated by law enforcement agencies in the US, they would be on display, provided you’re in the same area as where the search was revealed. As per one rep from the company, TikTok can identify where users are present through IP addresses.


The alert will feature important details found in standard Amber Alerts like the kid’s photo, where their last whereabouts were seen, and also any other crucial information that assists with the search. As per TikTok, the launch comes after a pilot test went well in the state of Texas.

Amber Alerts on TikTok kept on getting viewed over 20 million times and nearly 2.5 people visited the NCMEC website between August and December of last year. As per the firm, it’s also going to donate ad credits to better messaging on the app so more data about missing youth and their safety is displayed.

It all makes sense why the social media giant is rolling out the feature in-app. The platform is huge in terms of the youth and therefore it means more people can stay aware and notice Amber Alerts as compared to other common alerts that they usually miss.

The VP at NCMEC applauded the company’s efforts and shared how every second is crucial when a child is missing. Such efforts where both reach and speed are at their peak can give rise to powerful advocates to locate kids that go missing.

TikTok is not the only social media app to include Amber Alerts into the app. Facebook has been making way for Amber Alerts since the start of 2016 and Instagram also incorporated it in the year 2022.

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