Some mobile phone users run into a snag when trying to access information tied to Amber Alerts sent out in Tennessee when a child goes missing.
The alerts, which are sent to mobile phones with wireless emergency alerts activated, direct people to a public Facebook post by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation with more information on the missing child. But despite Facebook allowing people without accounts to view public posts, some alert recipients are prompted, sometimes repeatedly, to log in.
TBI reserves Amber Alerts for the most serious of cases when a child is in imminent danger. It is also the only agency in the state authorized to release an Amber Alert.
The bureau said it received a “handful of complaints” about the accessibility of the information after a recent alert went out. Here’s what the agency said about potential issues, along with a few alternatives for accessing Amber Alerts, along with other information.
Why do Tennessee Amber Alerts direct me to Facebook?
Amber Alerts sent to cell phones in Tennessee previously linked to TBI posts on X, formerly known as Twitter. The agency started directing traffic to Facebook after X stopped allowing people without accounts to view posts.
While Facebook appears to still cause some glitches when it comes to accessing the alerts, which are administered by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, a TBI spokesperson said the move was necessary. The mobile alerts are not the only way TBI spreads the word about missing children. The agency also shares information through the news media, Tennessee Department of Transportation road signs and posts across TBI’s social media accounts on X, Facebook and Nextdoor.
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Why don’t Tennessee Amber Alerts lead to a website?
TBI spokesperson Josh DeVine said the agency would prefer to send the public to its website for notices like Amber Alerts. However, it’s not a viable option at this time.
“We’ve explored that extensively with the state agency that administers our website platform and — at this time — have no assurances the near simultaneous web traffic from potentially several hundred thousand users wouldn’t crash our website,” DeVine said in an email.
He said the agency is continuing to explore other options for the alerts.
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Other ways to find Tennessee Amber Alert information
TBI posts Amber Alerts, along with other updates, on Facebook, X and Nextdoor. Here are the direct links to those accounts:
Don’t want to rely on cell phone alerts or social media? Download the MyTN app, which is available for free in both the AppStore and GooglePlay. The app has an option to sign up for notifications of Amber Alerts and Silver Alerts, which in turn directly link users to the TBI website for more information. You can learn more about the app at MyTN.gov.
