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Is it an internet hoax? 'No reports' of Momo challenge to authorities

CyberSafeIreland said that it has been “inundated” by enquiries about Momo – mainly from the media.

THE MOMO CHALLENGE has caught the media and public’s attention this week – but it’s uncertain that the phenomenon had been putting children at risk.

Campaigners and factcheckers have claimed that there have been no reports of children engaging or paying heed to these posts, which have been shared widely in the past, but resurfaced over the weekend.

Mental health advocates have now said that in the act of the media covering the warnings has in itself raised the risk the “challenge” poses to children.

Today, CyberSafeIreland said that it “has been inundated by enquiries about Momo, mainly from the media”.

“We made it very clear from the start that we had seen no evidence of Irish children being harmed by this,” it said in a statement.

Although there is no factual evidence describing how or whether people get these messages, the phenomenon is described as a message received through social media, such as WhatsApp or YouTube, where people are asked to take part in “challenges”, which include requests that they self-harm. 

An image of a woman’s head with bulging eyes accompanies the messages. The woman’s head, which sits on bird’s legs, is a piece of artwork called “Mother Bird” and is the work of a Japanese artist from the special effects company Link Factory. 

According to officials, neither the Link Factory nor the artist are affiliated with the challenge; it’s uncertain how the image became linked to the challenge, or what caused it to go viral.

Timeline

In February, schools and police departments began posting warnings on social media of the the Momo challenge. On Sunday, the Police Service of Northern Ireland warned that “the Momo game” was “doing the rounds” online, citing YouTube.

This week, media companies from around the world have covered the warnings to the challenge, emphasising that children should ignore the game.

Yesterday, TV reality celebrity and social media star Kim Kardashian joined those calls, and posted an image of concerned comments left online by parents to her Instagram account. She tagged YouTube in the post, asking “Please help!”

But YouTube says that it has “no recent evidence of videos promoting the Momo challenge on YouTube”.

“Videos encouraging harmful and dangerous challenges are against our policies.

If you see videos including harmful or dangerous challenges on YouTube, we encourage you to flag them to us immediately. These challenges are clearly against our Community Guidelines.

Screenshot_20190228-134152_Instagram (1)

An Garda Síochána told TheJournal.ie that it had “no reports of any crimes in relation to the Momo challenge”.

“We remind internet users and parents in particular to exercise care while children are online,” it said, directing users to information on its website.

CyberSafeIreland has said that until this week, “we have not come across children even talking about this in the classroom, even though the concept has been around for some months”.

But after this week’s media coverage, it is “the talk of the playground in many Irish schools”, it said, and added that many principals have contacted them looking for advice.

We made the reluctant decision to stop engaging with the media on this, as we reached the conclusion that we were only feeding the monster as such, which wasn’t helping anyone.

It added:

We have seen nothing to suggest that the Momo Challenge is anything more than a hoax that has ‘grown legs’ through a lot of circular media reporting. It does certainly exist as an idea, or meme (an image which is usually funny, that is copied and spread rapidly online), but that is most likely all that it is.

The group warned that it’s always possible that through social media, messaging apps, or games, a child can be contacted by someone and asked to do “just about anything” – adding that the “Momo game” doesn’t pose a new threat in that way, so normal online safety good practices still apply.

The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC)’s Policy Coordinator, Fiona Jennings said that “concerns raised in recent days have created conversations around the importance of striving to ensure children and young people are safe online”.

“Parents and carers can help keep their children safe online by speaking with them in generic terms about what they see or experience, about inappropriate content and about what they can do if they see something which upsets them.”

CyberSafeIreland doesn’t recommend that parents speak to their children about the “challenge”, unless their children ask specifically about it or they have strong suspicions that they have heard about it.

Their programme director Cliona Curley said: “If they have heard about Momo and come home asking about it, then the best thing that you can do is explain that actually it is a nasty idea that has gone viral.

Momo does not exist. If someone tells you that you are cursed if you don’t do something, this is not true.

“Acknowledge their worries and praise them to the high heavens for coming and telling you about it,” she said.

If you need to talk, contact:

  • Samaritans 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.ie
  • National Suicide Helpline 1800 247 247 – (suicide prevention, self-harm, bereavement)
  • Aware 1800 80 48 48 (depression, anxiety)
  • Pieta House 01 601 0000 or email mary@pieta.ie – (suicide, self-harm)
  • Teen-Line Ireland 1800 833 634 (for ages 13 to 19)
  • Childline 1800 66 66 66 (for under 18s)

Warning signs for youth suicide can be found here.

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33 Comments
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    Mute Shane Corry
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    Feb 28th 2019, 4:40 PM

    Some woman on The DailyMail got her time in the spotlight with 50K shares on an article saying her daughter said this momo character telling her to commit suicide on the YouTube kids app on a video of Peppa Pig.

    Yet despite her saying the video had over a million views, not a single screenshot, tweet, mention etc. of that alleged video exists and YouTube said they reviewed the watch history on the account and couldn’t find it either.

    Seems like quite a desperate way to fake stories for a quick bit of fame.

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    Mute the-baldie-lad
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    Feb 28th 2019, 6:38 PM

    @Shane Corry: she should be called out on that. Probably find that her name is Vladimir Kruschev from the FSB department of dark arts.

    27
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    Mute Lad
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    Feb 28th 2019, 11:06 PM

    @Shane Corry: fake news.. happens all the time. Then say work is always evolving, maybe they could get someone to check if there is evidenc.. oh wait there’s already meant to be journalists.

    4
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    Mute Caireann Rua
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    Feb 28th 2019, 4:46 PM

    I’ve seen parents commenting on these ridiculous news stories about how they showed their kids the news stories and warned them about it and now the kids are absolutely terrified and can’t sleep because momo might kill them. The kids had never even heard of the feckin thing before the parents scared the life out of them. It’s just like the clowns a few years back, and the stories of Halloween sweets poisoning trick or treaters and listening to Marilyn Manson music caused kids to shoot up schools. No actual evidence whatsoever just hearsay but people are in sheer terror over the news reports. Fear sells!

    180
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    Mute Paraic
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    Feb 28th 2019, 7:36 PM

    @Caireann Rua: With the Journal reporting on it only a couple of days ago, as if it were a fact, it’s hardly surprising. A bit of old fashioned journalism wouldn’t go astray. Simple checking of sources.

    37
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    Mute Kieran Stafford
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    Feb 28th 2019, 6:17 PM

    She was on coronation street last night under the alias “Gail”. Frightened the life of me

    77
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    Mute Olive Whyte
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    Feb 28th 2019, 8:28 PM

    @Kieran Stafford: That’s priceless, I knew she reminded me of someone and I couldn’t figure it out

    11
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    Mute Blah blah
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    Feb 28th 2019, 4:45 PM

    From reading posts and comments on various media/social media, it has highlighted the huge number of children that seem to have unsupervised access to the internet, and that apps/youtube/ipads are being used as “babysitters”. It has shocked me the number of parents who justify this as “educational”.
    I hope from this hysteria that parents take away internet access from their kids…and let them play with toys and use their imaginations!

    71
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    Mute Melissa OHara
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    Feb 28th 2019, 8:54 PM

    @Blah blah: did you watch television as a child?

    16
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    Mute Peter
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    Feb 28th 2019, 4:33 PM

    I think we’d have seen some screenshots of more info and not just that face.

    38
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    Mute Bob Earner
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    Feb 28th 2019, 4:46 PM

    I never shared it, I suspected it was a load of nonsense but I also know if I’d called out any of the parents freaking out about it online I’d have gotten no where.

    Not being a parent I had no “skin in the game” so to speak.

    But yeah, it’s looked like it was a load of oul sh! te

    There was no clear explanation of how it really worked and the idea that it “hid” in legitimate games seemed nonsensical to me.

    I’m not in any way surprised to find out that it was BS.

    51
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    Mute Shannon Mcg
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    Feb 28th 2019, 5:11 PM

    @Bob Earner: had this exact issue on Facebook. I tried to explain that Momo was a meme and had nothing to do with YouTube, but associated with WhatsApp yet there is no proof of it actually being a real thing. Was told that I am too young (I’m 25!) to comment on the topic (that they themselves were asking info about) and I didn’t have a kid so of course I’d dismiss it. I also commented on how kids aren’t allowed on YouTube anyway and was then immediately told that I was shaming parents and didn’t get it.

    28
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    Mute Ron Noco
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    Feb 28th 2019, 5:21 PM

    @Bob Earner: that being said, the big thing for kids now is watching someone else playing a game/explaining how to complete a level, all seemed harmless as my child was watching a minecraft video, except in the middle of the video the C@#t started graphically describing getting his first blow-job…

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    Mute the-baldie-lad
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    Feb 28th 2019, 7:02 PM

    @Bob Earner: I did call out a few people for sharing it and got lashed at. The mob is real.

    2
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    Mute Derek Durkin
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    Feb 28th 2019, 4:50 PM

    Bang on…..by highlighting this story the media have given fuel to the fire all in the name of clickbait and revenue….and do they care?…hell No.

    41
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    Mute JC
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    Feb 28th 2019, 4:54 PM

    There’s certain people I see sharing stuff on the regular on Facebook, when I see them post anything it’s generally a good indicator that it’s complete bull, So I had an inkling this was no different. Surprised the gardai got involved in an uncorroborated, unreported ‘suicide’ manipulation trick.

    23
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    Mute Your Ma
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    Feb 28th 2019, 6:11 PM

    Given that You go on YouTube to watch a video of ducklings and within minutes your now being recommended a “related video” of a massacre in a mexican village, I would just keep the kiddies off YouTube! Stick to crayola or bust out the Mala.

    23
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    Mute Simon Carroll
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    Feb 28th 2019, 11:38 PM

    @Your Ma: There’s a kids version of YouTube, all the videos are screened before being uploaded, I let my daughter watch a few things on that but only on the main TV while we watch together, certainly wouldn’t treat it as a babysitter like a lot of people seem to do, you can’t say that though otherwise you’re “parent shaming” or some other nonsense

    5
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    Mute David Garland
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    Feb 28th 2019, 5:03 PM

    It’s something similar to the thousands of so called child abductions in this Country every year, we must have the most inept child abductors on the planet considering the amount of times you see on Facebook that a man in a white van approached some child offering sweets.. This Momo thing is exactly the same..

    26
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    Mute Gerry Quinn
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    Feb 28th 2019, 7:52 PM

    @David Garland: That guy in the white van has been at it for sixty years. You have to admire his perseverence at least.

    14
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    Mute Pixie McMullen
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    Feb 28th 2019, 4:55 PM

    All a massive hoax to scare parents, The Gardaí posted a warning about it the other day without even having the facts right, they should really be pulled up on adding to the myth surrounding MoMo, the idiot in charge of the Garda press office needs a good kick up the hole for spreading a rumour before verifying if it was true or not.

    30
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    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
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    Feb 28th 2019, 5:48 PM

    @Pixie McMullen: ah come on now, the Garda Press Office has been through enough

    9
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    Mute Gerry Quinn
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    Feb 28th 2019, 7:49 PM

    There was a great kerfuffle about this a year or so ago, but it died away until this week.

    The Slender Man, that’s who you need to worry about!

    7
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    Mute Frank Jones
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    Feb 28th 2019, 5:49 PM

    It was killer clowns a couple of years back, headless horsemen in my day

    7
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    Mute TamuMassif2019
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    Feb 28th 2019, 9:31 PM

    It looks a bit like the ghost of Michael Jackson to me?

    2
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    Mute Howard Myers
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    Feb 28th 2019, 11:19 PM

    Reminded me of a situation 50 years ago when I was at school. The story got out that the ‘Greenjackets’ a gang intent on violence towards school kids was in the area and in the way to our school. Whilst this was totally untrue the phenomenon of mass hysteria took over until the police and school were able to reassure us that this was a story and nothing else. Nevertheless I can still recall the real fear we all felt as 12 year olds that our lives were in danger. Mass hysteria is a powerful phenomenon.

    2
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    Mute Crom Cruach
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    Feb 28th 2019, 5:23 PM

    There’s an interesting article on Slugger O’Toole on how worldwide news outlets are citing the PSNI Craigavon posting as ‘proof’.

    Would like to see whatever cop posted that unsourced garbage get publicly hauled over the coals. Absolutely pathetic from a so-called professional.

    3
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    Mute Bob Earner
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    Feb 28th 2019, 5:47 PM

    @Crom Cruach: I’ve contacted another PSNI page asking who runs it for this EXACT reason.

    The first time I saw it mentioned it has been shared from a PSNI page and I was instantly suspicious.

    I couldn’t believe an actual police officer would be sharing something that looked (to me) to be nonsense.

    Not yet heard back.

    2
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    Mute the-baldie-lad
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    Feb 28th 2019, 7:06 PM

    @Bob Earner: I wondered whether the psni posting it has anything to do with perhaps traditional religious beliefs of evil and witches and all that.

    2
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    Mute Rory Mac Daibhéid
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    Feb 28th 2019, 8:36 PM

    Make no mistake there is money to be made if you get over a million hits https://youtu.be/9Q0nf80ChCk
    Doesn’t matter if it’s all fake once its gets the hits. I would hope these people get sued for broadcasting things that are damaging to safe apps like YouTube Kids

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    Mute Patricia Thomond Sarsfield
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    Mar 1st 2019, 8:28 AM

    We need to thoughtfully expose our kids to things like this momo bs so that they are not affected by it. insulating them from it is not the correct approach.

    1
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    Mute Skimothy
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    Feb 28th 2019, 7:54 PM

    Spoke to my kids just incase. But always thought it was a bit of a hoax when no example.of the video appearing in the middle of a child’s video was shared.

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    Mute Stacy Fitzpatrick
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    Mar 2nd 2019, 1:35 PM

    My son saw it a few months back before all the hype and never told me at the time but couldn’t sleep after it for weeks it was only when I seen the notices about it that I said to him I’d prefer if he didn’t watch you tube anymore and I was going to just leave it at that but decided to ask had he ever heard of it and he then admitted that’s why he couldn’t sleep luckily when it popped up the face frightened him that much he knocked it off straight away , it came up on a video he was watching about super Mario , scared the life out of him

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