Launching AMBER Alerts to Americans on TikTok

Authored by Lili Nguyen, Head of T&S Risk & Response Operations at TikTok USDS

Today we're announcing the launch of AMBER Alerts on TikTok with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). This brings critical, time-sensitive information directly to people's For You feeds to raise awareness of missing children and leverage the power of the US TikTok community to help reunite them with their families.

Last year we piloted AMBER Alerts with our community in Texas. From August to December 2024, AMBER Alerts on TikTok were viewed over 20 million times and contributed to 2.5 million visits to NCMEC's website. Now, we're expanding these alerts to more than 170 million Americans, so when an AMBER Alert is issued, we'll show the alert in the For You feed of those within the area.

Today we're also donating advertising credits to amplify NCMEC's messaging via their official TikTok account @NCMEC of missing children and youth safety information on our platform. This builds on our longstanding work to support NCMEC and our shared goal of keeping youth safe. NCMEC continues to provide vital resources about how to protect yourself online, back-to-school safety, advice for navigating your teen's first smartphone, and more on their TikTok account.

We've also enlisted the help of TikTok creator, missing children advocate, and host of The Voices for Justice Podcast Sarah Turney (@saraheturney) to help spread the word about this new effort. Sarah has dedicated her platform to advocacy for missing persons and provides guidance on how communities can take action.

The nationwide expansion of AMBER Alerts on TikTok is another example of how platforms like ours can play an active role in keeping communities informed. Whether through trusted safety resources, partnerships with leading organizations, or in-app tools that help protect users, we remain dedicated to creating a secure and supportive environment for all.

For more on TikTok’s ongoing efforts in online safety, combating child exploitation, and our ongoing partnership with NCMEC, visit our Transparency Center.

“Every second counts when a child goes missing. 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. Building on the momentum from our successful pilot in Texas, this nationwide expansion will empower even more communities to swiftly spread critical information, amplify awareness, and help bring missing children home safely.” - Gavin Portnoy, Vice President of Communications & Brand at NCMEC

“Every second counts when a child goes missing, and we have to use every tool available to bring them home safely. The Lonoke County Sheriff’s Office is committed to leveraging technology and community partnerships to enhance public safety, and TikTok allows us to reach younger generations and an audience that might not otherwise see these alerts. By expanding our outreach, we’re giving families and communities another powerful way to stay informed and take action. 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." - Lonoke County Sheriff John Staley

"Time is crucial when a child goes missing. Using platforms like TikTok, communities can quickly spread vital information and help locate missing children. After a successful Texas pilot, this national expansion will enable more communities to raise awareness and bring missing children home quickly. Precious children are counting on us to do everything we can to rescue them." - Colleen Nick, CEO of the Morgan Nick Foundation