Sault Ste. Marie Police Service is warning parents to stay vigilant when it comes to monitoring their children’s online activities due to a possible online threat known as the ‘Momo Challenge.’
“An online trend that gained popularity in 2018 called the Momo Challenge has been recently observed by a few youth in our community,” reads Thursday’s Sault Ste. Marie Police Service news release. “The recent videos have been embedded in popular online videos intended for children and may have some disturbing messages [and or] images. These messages and videos sometimes include content that encourages children to harm themselves or others and not to tell their parents about it.”
“We encourage all parents to stay vigilant with regards to their children’s activities online and to maintain an open line of communication with their children about potential risks.”
On Thursday, many online platforms - along with BBC News - declared the Momo Challenge a viral hoax.
But Const. Sonny Spina told SooToday that Sault Ste. Marie Police Service received one report of the challenge locally on Wednesday.
It appeared as a pop-up, and the adult in the home determined that it was related to the Momo Challenge.
“These kids whose screen it popped up on did the exact right thing, they did the perfect thing, they responded incredibly appropriately - went and found an adult and said, ‘I don’t know what this is, it popped up,’” said Spina. “It was concerning enough to them that they went and got an adult - the adult came, and the connection was terminated.”
Sault Ste. Marie Police Service says it’s important to do the following when it comes to cyber safety:
- Educate yourself about the internet and popular sites or apps your child is visiting
- Review all sites that your child visits or interacts with on a regular basis
- Speak with your child about not sharing any private information
- Encourage your child to tell you immediately if someone is pressuring or threatening them online, especially if that person says not to tell their parents
City police also point out that because the internet is constantly changing, even children’s sites widely deemed safe can also be compromised.
“It is important for parents to ensure that they continue to be right on top of those things, and make sure that they continue to monitor not just become complacent and assume that a site is safe,” Spina said.