Odisha to issue advisory against ‘Momo challenge’

Bhubaneswar: In the wake of suicide reports from across the country for playing Momo challenge, Odisha Crime Branch will shortly issue an advisory against the deadly online game to guard children.

An advisory will be issued by the Crime Branch soon to keep youths away from Momo challenge online game. The guidelines will be sent to the SPs in all the districts and two DCPs of Commissionerate Police in twin city, informed Crime Branch ADG Santosh Kumar Upadhyay.

He advised parents to install parental control software on the computers at home to get notice about any deadly online game to have been used or downloaded by their children.

It is the responsibility of parents to check their children’s computers or laptops every day. If their children are using smartphone, the parents are suggested to check the call records, search history, Facebook and WhatsApp on their phones, the ADG said.

The Crime Branch took quick initiative after the Ministry of Electronics and IT issued advisory against the Momo challenge, an online game similar to Blue Whale game that forces children, teenagers and youngsters to commit suicide.

The government asked parents to observe the signs and symptoms in their children and notice whether they get withdrawn from family and friends and have low mood and unhappiness.

The Momo challenge featuring an image of a girl with a distorted face and eyes bulging out called ‘Mother Bird by Link Factory’ went viral on social media especially WhatsApp. It has allegedly claimed several lives in parts of the country.