Momo challenge: Hoax or real? Analyzing the facts

The frightening, infamous Momo challenge might turn out to be just a hoax, a new report has claimed. YouTube itself has acknowledged that it has seen no recent evidence about the Momo challenge.

It all started with a viral Whatsapp challenge and after the terrifying Blue Whale episode, it quickly gained popularity. The viral challenge appeared as a message arrived from an unknown number and with a foreign code (+81 and +57), with a text that threatens something bad if the receiver does not follow the instructions and the number is contacted.

In South America and the US, parents were being warned of a morbid WhatsApp game - a so-called challenge - in which "Momo" was calling on children and teenagers to commit suicide.

The instructions read things like "do not be repetitive in the chat" and "do not let Momo write more than twice without getting an answer", with the warning of "something bad" if instructions are not followed.

There were reports that it later crept on to YouTube, especially in the kids content but the viral challenge now seems to just be a hoax with YouTube clarifying it's stand on the issue.

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

Who is Momo?

The origin of the morbid "Momo" profile photos at WhatsApp is clarified. The image of a distorted young woman with eyes emerging from her caves, lank black hair and bird legs is a work of art by the Japanese company Link Factory. This was exhibited, among others, in the "Vanilla Gallery" in Tokyo.