MOMO FEARS
Government is ‘extremely concerned’ about Momo challenge, Andrea Leadsom says
The Commons boss said the disturbing new game was 'appalling' but claimed there was not a current risk to British kids
MINISTERS are "extremely concerned" about the disturbing Momo challenge game, Andrea Leadsom has said.
The Commons boss said the weird new craze, which has spread on social media sites, was "appalling" but she claimed there is no current risk to British kids.
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Ms Leadsom warned that the Momo challenge, an apparent game in which players are threatened to follow 'orders' from a scary-looking avatar, was worrying.
Police and schools have been raising concerns about the eerie face which has been spliced into kids videos and circulated on platforms like Facebook, Whatsapp and YouTube.
But oddly, charities have said there's no evidence that anyone has come to physical harm, and YouTube claimed they found no evidence of Momo on their platform.
Today Ms Leadsom was asked about how ministers could stop the "scourge of online dangers" by Tory MP Douglas Ross.
She told MPs: "My Honourable Friend is raising an appalling situation, the Momo challenge is something I have also heard of, is one the Government is extremely concerned about."
And she said that "more needs to be done to protect young people online, including from cyber bullying and suicide and self harm content".
Internet companies which host such content have a "responsibility to their users", she went on.
But she repeated the remarks of experts who said that there's not a current threat to kids.
"In the case of Momo, organisations including Samaritans, NSPCC and Safer Internet Centre have said there is no concerned evidence that the Momo phenomenon is posing a threat to British children," Ms Leadsom said.
Is the Momo Challenge a hoax?
THE Momo Challenge is believed to have originated in South America.
The creepy face of a Japanese sculpture was hijacked and spread on WhatsApp - reportedly with instructions enticing children to perform a series of dangerous tasks including self-harm and suicide.
In recent days police and schools have issued warnings about the challenge arriving in the UK and a number of parents have said their children have been exposed to it.
Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom even told MPs the Government is "extremely concerned" about it.
But confusingly UK charities and internet experts have suggested the challenge is a hoax.
The Samaritans and the NSPCC said there is no confirmed evidence anyone has come to physical harm.
And YouTube claimed: "We have found no evidence of videos showing or promoting the Momo challenge on YouTube."
While it appears the challenge itself may not have reached Britain, sick copycats have been traumatising children by splicing a ghoulish video of a bug-eyed girl into Peppa Pig cartoons and Fortnite gameplay footage.
Parents given tips to keep children safe from Momo suicide craze 'affecting three in 10 kids'
Several internet users have reported that the character - which was created completely separately for an exhibition in Tokyo - threatens them if they don't follow orders.
It's even been reported to have been linked to some deaths, and has been identified all around the world.
In recent days headteachers and parents have become more concerned about the bizarre messages, which have left kids terrified.
Police in Northern Ireland said it was liaising with other forces over the "disturbing game".
And Police Scotland have now warned mums and dads to remain vigilant in what their children are up to on their computers and phones.
Detective Constable Adam Potts, a Digital Media Investigator with Police Scotland said: "The existence of online challenges such as 'Momo' are clearly a matter for concern for parents, however these type of so called challenges appear every few months on the internet and we have certainly seen countless other examples over the years."
Northolt Community Special School in Hull, East Yorks, issued a warning to parents yesterday after pupils were reportedly targeted on YouTube.
The school said: "We are aware that some nasty challenges (Momo challenge) are hacking into children's programmes.
"Challenges appear midway through Kids YouTube, Fortnight, Peppa pig to avoid detection by adults.
"Please be vigilant with your child using IT, images are very disturbing."
FOR KIDS: How to say no
It can sometimes be hard to stand up to your friends, so Childline offers the following tips on how to say no:
1) Say it with confidence:
Be assertive. It’s your choice and you don’t have to do something which makes you feel unsafe or uncomfortable.
2) Try not to judge them:
By respecting their choices, they should respect yours.
3) Spend time with friends who can say ‘no’:
It takes confidence and courage to say no to your friends. Spend time with other friends who also aren’t taking part.
4) Suggest something else to do:
If you don’t feel comfortable doing what your friends are doing, suggest something else to do.
Any child worried about peer pressure or online worries can contact Childline on 0800 1111.
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MOST READ IN POLITICS
SAFETY NET: How to keep your child safe online
The Internet can be an amazing tool to help children learn and play.
But with the digital world changing all the time, how can you make sure your child is safe?
Set up parental controls
- Parental controls can be used to block upsetting or harmful content, control in-app purchases or manage how long your child spends online
- The filters can help control what time of day your child can go online, and to stop them from downloading apps they are too young for
Talk to your children
- Have regular conversations about what your child is doing online
- Explore sites and apps together
- Talk about what personal information they should share online
- Create a family agreement about what behaviour is appropriate when they are online
Do your research
- Check through websites your child will use through the
- Change privacy settings and turning off location sharing
If you need help now, you can phone experts on the free NSPCC & O2 helpline 0808 800 5002
Parents have previously told The Sun Online how the character, which was originally created by a Japanese artist with no links to the game, has appeared on their child's YouTube videos.
One mum, from Swindon, said her six-year-old son was watching a gaming channel when the creature popped up and warned "I'm going to kill you".
A YouTube spokesman said: "YouTube’s Community Guidelines prohibit content that's intended to encourage dangerous activities that have an inherent risk of physical harm or death. We remove flagged videos that violate our policies."
Instagram says it has now deleted three accounts involved in promoting Momo.
An Instagram spokespman said: "Nothing is more important to us than the safety of the people who use Instagram. Content or accounts that encourage others to harm themselves are not allowed and we will remove them as soon as we are made aware.
"We encourage anyone who comes across anything like this to report it and we have a team working 24/7 who prioritise reports related to self-harm.”
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To contact , you can call the helpline on 0808 800 5000 or children under 18 can call 0800 1111
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