Govt wants Blue Whale game off the internet

Industry majors asked to remove all links to it

The Centre has directed internet majors -- Google, Facebook, Whatsapp, Instagram, Microsoft and Yahoo -- to immediately remove the links to the Blue Whale Challenge, the dangerous online game that has led to the suicide of children in India and other countries.

“Instances of children committing suicide while playing the Blue Whale Challenge have been reported in India... You are hereby requested to ensure that any such link of this deadly game in its own name or a similar game is immediately removed from your platform,” the Ministry of Electronics and IT said in a letter dated August 11 to internet majors.

The letter was issued following instructions from Law and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, an official source said, adding that the proponents of the Blue Whale Challenge should be reported to law enforcement agencies.

The government instructions came following deaths that were linked to this game, reported from Mumbai and West Midnapore district.

Expressing concern on the availability of such a deadly game on the internet, the ministry said, “It is understood that administrators of the game usessocial media platform to invite /incite children to play this game, which may eventually lead them to take extreme steps for self inflicting injuries including suicide”.

What is the game?
The Blue Whale game or Blue Whale Challenge is a suicide game, wherein a administrator gives a participant a task to complete daily for a period of 50 days. The final task is to commit suicide.

The online game, which originated in Russia, has already claimed 150 lives in US, UK and several other countries.

Schools as well as police officials in Europe and America have already started issuing advisories to parents urging them to be vigilant and to keep an eye out on what their children are sharing on their social media accounts.

There were reports that once the game is downloaded on a mobile phone, it will hack phone’s system and can’t be deleted. Several MPs in the just-concluded Rajya Sabha session demanded the banning of such games on the internet.