Blue whale Challenge: Delhi High Court seeks response from Facebook, Google & Yahoo to remove links of the game

August 22, 2017On Tuesday, the Delhi High Court ordered Google, Facebook & Yahoo to respond on a plea to remove links of the Blue Whale Challenge. The High Court also sought responses from Centre & Delhi Police on plea seeking direction to Internet firms to immediately remove links of this online game.

Last week a bench comprising of acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal & Justice C Hari Shankar had expressed concern over reports of children & “even adults” committing suicide by playing this game. Delhi High Court wondered why even adults were getting influenced by the game. “If an adult is told to do a task, why would he or she go and jump from a building… we're wondering why both adults & children are doing this,” wondered the Delhi HC.

'Blue Whale Challenge' is an online suicide game that originated from Russia. It's reportedly inspired from the way blue whales beach themselves on shore & die. Administrators of this online game allegedly give members a set of 50 challenges, to be carried out over 50 days; with the last challenge asking the user to commit suicide. Player is asked to share photos after finishing the each level of the game. So far the game is suspected to have claimed 6 in India.

In the backdrop of these deaths, last week the NCPCR, the apex body for child rights, urged parents & teachers to “keep a watch” on children showing abnormal & erratic behaviour due to exposure to this game.

On Tuesday, the Haryana Children Protection Commission (HCPC) issued an advisory to all private & govt. schools in the state to counsel students about the risk of the Blue Whale Challenge & other similar online games & also directed the management of all schools to educate students from class 5 to class 12 about the ‘deadly, hazardous & negative impact’ of this game.

Association of ICSE Schools in West Bengal will organise a workshop in September for all its member schools to build an awareness among students regarding misuse of social media & risk of ‘Blue Whale Challenge’ & similar online games.

With inputs from PTI