Missing child alerts to be shown on ATMs in the Netherlands

Information about missing children will now be shown on ATM machines in the Netherlands.

The new initiative sees alerts about the child displayed on cash machines around the country. The information will now appear as a screensaver on around 300 ATMs. Two kinds of messages will be displayed, reports Engadget. There will be an Amber alert for a child that has been reported missing and is in immediate danger and a 'Vermist Kind' for cases where there is concern for the wellbeing of a missing child. With both kinds of messages, ATM users will see a photo of the child and relevant information that could help in the search. The machines in question are at airports and shopping centres for now but authorities plan to roll the initiative out to more widespread locations in time. At times when there is no live appeal, users will see a message encouraging them to sign up for missing child alerts directly to their phone. The Netherlands is the first country in the world to use ATMs in missing persons cases in this way. It was announced last year that An Garda Síochána would be working with Facebook to share alerts about missing children believed to be in danger with the public in Ireland. The Child Rescue Ireland (CRI) alerts would let users instantly share information about the missing child, including photos, hair colour and clothes, and about suspected abductors, Gardaí said at the time. "When a child is abducted and in danger, an extra pair of eyes can make all the difference," said Assistant Commissioner Special Crime Operations John O'Driscoll, unveiling the plan.