DICT: Facebook to block ‘Momo Challenge’ in its platform 

MANILA, Philippines — Social media giant Facebook has already agreed to block all “Momo Challenges” in its platform, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) disclosed on Friday.

“We already talked with Facebook kasi Facebook ang nagke-carry ng WhatsApp and they already agreed they’ll pull out or they will block all ‘Momo Challenges’ na papasok sa kanilang platform,” Information Technology Secretary Eliseo Rio Jr. said in an interview with Radyo INQUIRER.

Rio said the DICT is still monitoring which social networking sites (SNS) will the viral challenge appear.

READ: Parents urged to keep kids off deadly Momo challenge, Blue Whale challenge

“Tinitignan din natin kung saan pa ‘to magpapop-up. Ang problem din kasi nitong nasa social media, kung mablock sila sa isang platform, madali silang makagawa sa ibang platform,” Rio said.

(We are checking where it will pop up next. The problem with social media is that when you block it in one platform, they can easily put up a new one in another platform.)

The “Momo challenge” features an image of a woman with bulging eyes, long black hair and bird’s legs. The game purportedly tells the viewer to commit acts that may inflict harm to themselves.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has called on parents to monitor their children’s online activity.

Meanwhile, the Department of Education (DepEd) advised parents to maintain communication with their children to enable them in expressing themselves on matters that may be deemed uncomfortable.

Streaming platform YouTube said there were no videos on its platform that promote the online game contrary to what some netizens claimed.

“We want to clear something up regarding the Momo Challenge: We’ve seen no recent evidence of videos promoting the Momo Challenge on YouTube. Videos encouraging harmful and dangerous challenges are against our policies,” YouTube said in a tweet on Thursday.

We want to clear something up regarding the Momo Challenge: We’ve seen no recent evidence of videos promoting the Momo Challenge on YouTube. Videos encouraging harmful and dangerous challenges are against our policies.

— YouTube (@YouTube) February 27, 2019

YouTube also urged users to report “harmful or dangerous challenges” in its platform, which are against its community guidelines. /jpv