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TikTok announced it was launching amber alerts on "For You" pages in a news release on Thursday, Mar. 20. The move is part of a partnership with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
Amber alerts were successfully tested in Texas, where alerts appeared in users' FYP feeds and were viewed more than 20 million times in just four months. The pilot program also sent more than 2.5 million people to the NCMEC's website.
Now rolling out to more than 170 million Americans, the program aims to boost the chances of reuniting missing kids with their families by leveraging the reach and speed of TikTok's platform.
"Every second counts when a child goes missing," said NCMEC vice president of communication and brand Gavin Portnoy. "By harnessing the reach and speed of a platform like TikTok, parents, caregivers, and communities nationwide can become powerful advocates in the urgent effort to locate missing children."
The social media giant is also donating ad credits to NCMEC to promote safety content and missing child cases through the nonprofit's official account. Missing persons advocate Sarah Turney, host of the Voices for Justice podcast, is also helping spread the word.
Sheriff John Staley of Lonoke County, Arkansas, said the alerts give police a better way to reach younger users and new audiences.
"By expanding our outreach, we're giving families and communities another powerful way to stay informed and take action," Sheriff Staley said. "With this expansion, agencies across the nation, including the Lonoke County Sheriff’s Office, will share critical information about missing children with millions of users who can help spread the word instantly."
The Morgan Nick Foundation, which supports families of missing people, also applauded TikTok's adoption of amber alerts.
"Time is crucial when a child goes missing," said CEO and founder Colleen Nick. "Using platforms like TikTok, communities can quickly spread vital information and help locate missing children.
"Precious children are counting on us to do everything we can to rescue them."
You can learn more about TikTok's efforts at the app's transparency center.
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