Amidst news of children and even adults committing suicide while playing online game `Blue Whale Challenge’, Uttar Pradesh police as a precautionary measure is planning to impose a ban or direct social media platforms such as Facebook, google, Instagram, Playstore etc to remove the link of the controversial game from their sites.
Sources confirmed that finding the step already taken by the Central Ministry as well some other governments to restrict loading the above game, UP police is also busy preparing a strict guidelines to stop the public, particularly children from downloading the above game from any social or other website. The guidelines is likely to be issued very soon after which stern action will be taken if anyone found to have loaded the said game or playing it. Besides, to stop further circulation, the downloading will be also stopped by directing the social sites to restrict downloading. Sources said internet service providers (ISPs) will be also instructed to track the developments related to this online game.
In a notification issued last week, the ministry of electronics and IT (MeitY) also instructed these websites to report anyone who is advocating or promoting this game to the law enforcement agencies. “Instances of children committing suicide while playing the Blue Whale Challenge game have been reported in India. The government is concerned about the availability of such games on the internet. It is understood that an administrator of the game uses social media platform to invite/incite children to play this game, which may eventually lead the child to extreme steps for self-inflicting injuries including suicide,” the MeitY notification said. “You are hereby required to ensure that any such link of this deadly game in its own name or any similar game is immediately removed from your platform. The proponent of this game should be reported to law enforcement agencies,” it added.
The Blue Whale Challenge is a 50-day game in which an anonymous handler instructs players to complete a set of tasks which starts with simple chores and leads to difficult ones like self-inflicting injuries and eventually inciting one to take extreme steps such as committing suicide. The game has so far led to close to 100 deaths in the US, China and other countries. In India too, reports of children committing suicide due to the game have come up.