Parents warned that 'Momo Challenge' is being shared via social media and game apps

Co Kildare parents are this week being reminded to supervise their children’s online activity due to a cyber-bullying game called the "Momo challenge" which has started to appear on social media in Ireland in recent days.

The challenge has been seen on Whatsapp, Youtube, Facebook and Twitter as well as on the popular game Minecraft.

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

It is understood that "Momo", a creepy female character with straggly black hair and protruding eyes, makes contact through social media and apps and allegedly asks the person to perform dangerous tasks, including self-harm. The so-called challenge has been reported in many European countries including the United Kingdom, France and Germay in recent months.

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.

A garda spokesperson said that it was aware of reports the so-called Momo challenge is circulating in Ireland and has urged parents to take an active role in monitoring what their children are doing and supervising them whilst on technological devices such as phones and tablets.

CyberSafeIreland said it had been contacted a number of times in the last few days about the Momo challenge.

"We have not seen evidence of cases where this has caused harm to Irish children," said spokesperson Alex Cooney.

She said: "Clearly, however, there is some scary content relating to it, including YouTube videos that would be accessible to many young children. 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."

Meanwhile, The Children's Digital Protection Bill 2018 is currently going through its third stage in the Dail and it is hoped it will help to safe guard vulnerable young people whilst also holding social media platforms responsible for the spread of harmful content.

For mpre information and advice on cyber safety for children and young people visit www.cybersafeireland.org