TikTok launches in-app Amber Alerts

TikTok is bringing nationwide Amber Alerts to users’ For You Pages, in partnership with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The alerts, which provide vital information on missing children, are expected to reach more than 170 million Americans across the platform, according to the company.

Once issued, users’ video feeds will be interrupted by a black Amber Alerts screen, which will display photos and identifying information for the missing child, as well as options to call 911 or read more information on the NCMEC website — alerts are sent only to those in relevant geographic areas, similar to existing phone and TV alerts.

TikTok piloted the in-app notifications among Texas users last year. The company reported that the alerts, which ran from August to December, were viewed more than 20 million times and led to 2.5 million hits on NCMEC’s website. The new feature expands TikTok’s efforts to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse on the app, including community reporting tools and parental controls.