Residents to get Facebook alert when kids go missing in UAE

dubai — If you see a ‘Missing Child Alert’ notification on your Facebook account, be on the lookout as your vigilance could help reunite a missing child with his or her family. The UAE became the first in the region and the 20th worldwide to become part of Facebook’s Missing Child Alert system on Sunday.

“We want people to realise that these alerts are rare and specific to the search area. If you get one, it means there is an active search for a missing child going on around you and your eyes and ears could help make the difference in reuniting that child with his or her family,” Facebook said in a statement.

If the system is activated by the police after getting a complaint from a parent, the alert appears on the Facebook page of users in the designated search area. The decision to declare an alert is made by the Ministry of Interior when investigating

abductions. “Alerts will be shown to people who are most likely in a position to help — those directly within the designated search area. For example, if a child is abducted in Abu Dhabi, the alert won’t go to everyone in Dubai, it will only go to those in the specific, limited search area,” Facebook added.

The alert will include important details about the child, such as a photo, description, location of the abduction and any other available information that can be provided to the public to aid in the search. “People are also able to share the alert with friends to further spread the word and help galvanise the community.”

Emily Vacher, director of trust and safety for Facebook, said: “When a child is missing, the most valuable thing we can do is get information out to the public as quickly as possible. With the scale of the Facebook community, together with the UAE’s law enforcement agencies, we are committed to ensuring the safety of children across the country.”