Kildare parents warned to check their children's online activity over fears of dangerous 'Momo' challenge

Parents are this week being urged to supervise their children’s online activity due a cyber-bullying game called the "Momo challenge".

Gardaí say that the challenge is appearing on social media platforms and targets children and/or vulnerable people.

It is understood that "Momo" makes contact through social media, and allegedly asks the person to perform dangerous tasks, including self-harm.

In Northern Ireland the PSNI has also issued a warning against "Momo", and says there have been reports of the game appearing on YouTube.

"Our advice as always, is to supervise the games your kids play and be extremely mindful of the videos they are watching on YouTube. Ensure that the devices they have access to are restricted to age suitable content," said the PSNI.

However, CyberSafeIreland has said that it has been contacted a number of times by concerned parents in the last few days about the challenge, and they have urged parents to keep watch over their children's online activities.

They said:"It is really important that parents are aware that while the internet brings great opportunities for fun, learning and socialisation, there are also risks that have to be managed, including access to harmful content or harmful contact. Parents should make informed decisions about their children's online use, keep a close eye on things, and have regular conversations about what their children are seeing and doing online."

Gardaí are reminding children and parents to make sure that those who contact them are people they know in the real world and to be careful about the kind of information they share online and to report suspect behaviour they may experience online.