By publishing missing notices on Facebook and Instagram feeds, the Ministry of Interior (MoI) and Meta launched the AMBER alert system to help find missing children and bring them home.
The service, which is the first of its kind in the Middle East, is offered across two platforms and forms a part of the MoI’s continuous initiatives to enhance national security and safety for the general public.
The government held a news conference on Wednesday to formally introduce the service.
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The AMBER Alert system on Facebook and Instagram is used to provide the “Missing Alert” service.
All users within a 160km radius will see the notifications for missing children. As most of these instances take place in busy places, users can also share the alert with their friends to reach a wider audience and aid in the identification and locating of the missing child.
Amber Hagerman, a nine-year-old girl from Arlington, Texas, who was kidnapped and killed in 1996, is remembered by the acronym AMBER, which stands for America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response.
Commercial radio stations, satellite radio, television stations, mobile phones, and electronic traffic signs are used to broadcast AMBER alerts. In addition to details about the alleged kidnapper, such as his or her looks and the make, model, and licence plate number of their car, these warnings frequently include the name, age, and description of the kidnapped child.
The programme also intends to offer community members with all tools and alternatives at their disposal so they may contribute to sustaining higher levels of security in their neighbourhoods, including by using cutting-edge technology and making use of the available platforms.
Additionally, this will make it easier for citizens and residents to cooperate with law enforcement when they get a Facebook or Instagram missing person alert.
“Taking a proactive stance is what keeps Qatar at the forefront of the safest nations in the world,” said Abdullah Khalifa Al Muftah, the MoI’s director of public relations. He also stated that the ministry was actively striving to keep crimes of all kinds to a minimum.
Director of Trust & Safety at Meta, Emily Vacher said that “Qatar has become the first country in the Middle East to launch this smart alert on Facebook and Instagram at the same time. We confirm Meta’s keenness to cooperate with the Ministry of Interior, and we look forward to strengthening this partnership in the future.”
The method for alerting authorities to kidnappings called AMBER alert was invented in Dallas, Texas, in 1996.
Through the use of AMBER warnings, local law enforcement would collaborate with broadcasters, cellular service providers, and state transportation agencies to quickly reveal vital identifying information regarding suspected missing or kidnapped children. AMBER alerts have become a vital resource in the hunt for missing or abducted children.
