Blue Whale Challenge: Delhi HC seeks FB, Google, Yahoo's response on plea to remove game links

New Delhi: Delhi HC on Tuesday sought Facebook, Google, and Yahoo's response on plea to remove links of Blue Whale challenge that has been linked to number of suicides.

In addition, response of Centre and Delhi Police was also invited on petition seeking direction to internet firms to immediately remove links of the online game.

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

"Instances of children committing suicide while 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 similar game is immediately removed from your platform," Ministry of Electronics and IT(Meity) had said in a letter dated August 11 to the internet majors.

The letter was issued following instructions from Law and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, an official source said.

The Blue Whale challenge is reportedly a suicide game in which the player is given certain tasks to complete for a period of 50 days and the final task leads to suicide. The player is also asked to share photos after finishing the challenge.

Expressing concern on availability of such deadly game on internet, Meity had 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".

Mumbai and West Midnapore district have reported deaths linked to this game.