Lok Sabha Question No. 234 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-12-12
Subject: Momo Challenge Game
Ministry: ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: T.G. VENKATESH BABU, SANJAY JAISWAL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.234

TO BE ANSWERED ON: 12.12.2018

## MOMO CHALLENGE GAME

## 234.       SHRI VENKATESH BABU T.G.:    DR SANJAY JAISWAL:

Will the Minister of Electronics & Information Technology be pleased to state:-

- (a) whether  the  'The  Momo  Challenge  Game'  is  creating  havoc  among  children  and students and if so, the details thereof and the steps taken by the Government in this regard;
- (b) the number of persons who have fallen prey to the Momo Challenge Game so far;
- (c) the details of the instructions or advisory that have been issued to schools and colleges on Momo Challenge Game;
- (d) the  details  of  the  feedback  that  has  come  for  controlling  or  checking  the  spread  of Momo Challenge Game;
- (e) whether  the  concerned  Ministry  is  coordinating  with  Ministry  of  Home  Affairs  to control and stop the spread of Momo Challenge Game among children and if so, the details thereof; and
- (f) whether the Government is taking any active steps to regulate the information spread through whatsapp including the menace of fake news and spread of games like 'Momo Challenge Game' and if so, details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI S.S. AHLUWALIA)

(a)  and (b): There had been media reports about alleged suicides/ attempted suicides due to dangerous  online  game  like  Momo  Challenge  Game.  Section  79  of  the  Information Technology Act, 2000 provides for certain due diligence to be followed by Intermediaries failing which they would be liable. The Information Technology (Intermediaries Guidelines) Rules, 2011 notified under section 79 of the Act, inter alia, specifies that the intermediaries shall  inform  the  users  of  computer  resource  not  to  host,  display,  upload,  modify,  publish, transmit, update or share any information that is grossly harmful, harms minor in any way; violates  any  law  for  the  time  being  in  force;  etc.  Law  Enforcement  Agencies  regularly monitor the social media sites and take action under existing legal provisions for removal of malicious contents/materials and prosecuting the offenders.

(c) and (d): Government issued Guidelines for Safe and Effective Use of Internet and Digital Technologies  to  all  CBSE  schools  vide  circular  dated.  18.08.2017.    Further,  Ministry  of Electronics  &  Information  Technology  (MeitY)  had  issued  an  Advisory  on  '  Momo Challenge Game' on 27.08.2018. Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) had also written to all the institutions affiliated to CBSE detailing the precautions to be taken on an online game.

(e) and (f) : MeitY and Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) interacted with service providers of social media regarding the steps to be taken to prevent users from falling prey to harmful online games. Government has asked popular social media sites not to  host  any  such  dangerous  online  games  and  immediately  remove  the  same as  and  when detected.

It  is  also  understood  that  there  is  no  formal  Application,  website  or  URL  available  for downloading/accessing online games like Blue Whale Challenge.  Hence, there is little scope for using technical solutions to identify or block the dangerous online games.

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