Blue Whale: A reported suicide game (Source: Twitter)
The Union Home Ministry has written to states and Union territories, urging them to initiate legal action and sensitise police force regarding the Blue Whale challenge. Officials from the ministry said the advisory has been sent to state home secretaries and DGPs. The letter cites instructions issued by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to Internet majors — Google, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Microsoft and Yahoo — to immediately remove links to the online game that is learnt to have led children to commit suicide in India and abroad. “Action will be taken against those who violate the instructions and police will book them under IT Act,” a senior MHA official said.
The MHA has also shown concern over lack of awareness among policemen regarding misuse of social media. “We have urged state governments to train police officials at district and police station levels to handle such crimes,” the official added.
“Clear instructions have been issued to all the technology platforms that they must delink this game immediately because under the Indian IT ecosystem, no initiative shall be permitted which provokes young boys to commit suicide,” said a senior official. Expressing concern over the availability of such games on the Internet, the IT ministry in its communication said, “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 them to take extreme steps for self inflicting injuries including suicide.”
