The Delhi High Court on Tuesday asked all internet platforms, including Google India, Facebook, WhatsApp, Yahoo India, Instagram and Microsoft India, to remove links to the Blue Whale Challenge, an online game that has been linked to teen suicides in India and around the world, according to media reports.
Meanwhile, PTI reported that the Haryana Children Protection Commission (HCPC) has asked all private and government schools to raise awareness of the deadly game and offer counseling to vulnerable students.
Ramesh Yadav, a member of the HCPC, told PTI, “We have directed all Haryana government and public schools’ management to spread awareness among all students and at Gururgram schools. The schools have also been asked to closely watch and conduct proper counseling in case abnormal behavior is seen in any student.”
Blue Whale is a 50-day challenge that is believed to have originated in Russia. A series of tasks are assigned to players by the game administrators, each one potentially fatal, with the final challenge requiring the player to commit suicide by jumping off a building.