National Foundation of Computer Games: Media Brought 'Blue Whale' to Attention

The National Foundation of Computer Games of Iran accused the media of bringing the 'unknown challenge' of 'Blue Whale' to public attention following the suicides of two teenage girls in Isfahan. On Tuesday, November 1, the foundation's public relations stated that contrary to the views of some national media in Iran, 'Blue Whale' is not a game but a 50-stage challenge that utilizes the virtual space for execution. The foundation announced that 'the original version of this challenge has long been out of reach due to the arrest of its creators in Russia' and criticized Iranian media for introducing this 'challenge' to teenagers and youth. The foundation added, 'When the media began to inform about Blue Whale, the National Foundation of Computer Games warned that media surfing on this issue is dangerous.' The foundation had indicated that the possibility of 'copying the stages of Blue Whale' to create 'similar challenges' in Iran was one of the dangers of this information dissemination. Months after the emergence of the 'Blue Whale' challenge in Iran, the foundation stated that 'unfortunately' warnings in this regard were ignored, and 'the Blue Whale, which was an unknown challenge in the country, suddenly became a topic of discussion and created opportunities for opportunists.' The game, named literally after its Russian title, refers to the suicide of whales and their stranding. This game started about four years ago in a group on the 'VKontakte' network. It is said that a psychology dropout student named 'Philipp Budeikin' invented this challenge. The Blue Whale game lasts for 50 days, during which participants must complete at least one challenge each day. These challenges range from waking up in the early hours of the morning, watching specific films, to cutting body parts and a list of bizarre tasks. Russia, Venezuela, China, Chile, Colombia, Georgia, the USA, Italy, and India are just a few examples of countries where the phenomenon of 'Blue Whale' has left victims. According to media reports, since the launch of this game, almost every day a child or teenager in Russia and Central Asia, including Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, has committed suicide under the influence of this game. Many participants in this game have reported being threatened by mentors and individuals who invited them to participate when they wished to leave it. However, Russian authorities have stated that in 2016, nearly 720 cases of child suicides occurred in the country, with only six-tenths of a percent related to the internet. Love issues, psychological problems, and family issues have been cited as the main reasons for these suicides. Iranian officials have also announced that they have taken action to combat the spread of such phenomena. Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi, the Minister of Communications and Information Technology, recently reported that his ministry contacted the managers of the Russian social network 'VKontakte' regarding what he called 'the prevention of violence.' Azari Jahromi stated on his Instagram page that although the 'VKontakte' website is blocked in Iran, he and his colleagues will continue to work to combat the entry of the 'Blue Whale' game. According to some Iranian media, this challenge has had many victims worldwide, and 'the designers of the game use an epic environment to feed the meaning to teenagers.' The Khorasan newspaper on November 1 wrote that 'this game is very dangerous for those who have no goals and aspirations in life and for children and teenagers who may take any risk out of curiosity and for the thrill of experience.' This newspaper described the 50 stages of the 'Blue Whale' game, stating that this challenge 'includes drawing a whale on the forearm, cutting the arm, and swearing to be a true blue whale that must go to a height and commit suicide to finish the game.' According to this report, at the beginning of the game, to create excitement and stimulate curiosity, users are asked several times, 'Are you sure you want to enter this game and continue?' and it is emphasized, 'If you start, you must go to the end of the game.' The suicides of two teenage girls in Isfahan, as some police officials say, were the result of these two playing until the end of this challenge. The Iran newspaper also reported that investigators and criminal detectives in Isfahan are investigating the case of two teenage girls from Isfahan who committed suicide by jumping from the 'Chamran' bridge in the city. In this regard, Mehdi Masoumi Beigi, the police chief of Isfahan province, announced that 'after examining the evidence, it was determined that the two girls, aged 15 and 16, were influenced by the Blue Whale game.' He added that 'in recent months, the police had issued multiple warnings to families about the negative consequences of the online Blue Whale game. Unfortunately, we are still witnessing some families' negligence regarding their children's behavior.' While the police chief of Isfahan province confidently states that the suicides of the Isfahan girls were influenced by the Blue Whale, the head of the cyber police in the province does not confirm this issue. Mostafa Mortezavi said, 'As cyber police, we cannot make a precise statement until further specialized investigations are completed and confirm the connection of these individuals to the Blue Whale game.' He added, 'It has been reported that the two teenage girls recorded a message before their suicide, stating that their reason for suicide was the influence of the Blue Whale game. However, this is the surface of the matter.' Sattar Khosravi, head of the Criminal Investigation Police of Isfahan province, also stated regarding the incident of the two girls falling from the Chamran bridge in Isfahan that 'this incident was definitely a suicide, the reasons for which are under investigation.' In response to the question of whether this incident is related to the 'Blue Whale challenge,' he also said, 'The cause of this horrific incident is under investigation, and until the results are clarified, no comments can be made about it.' Suicides attributed to the 'Blue Whale' game or challenge in Iran have led to contradictions and differences among some institutions and officials responsible for social and cultural affairs. Previously, Hossein Asadbeigi, head of the country's social emergency service, stated that 'the Blue Whale' has had no victims in Iran. He said on September 20 to ISNA, 'So far, there have been no reported cases of suicide through this game in Iran.' This official expressed this in response to the release of clips regarding the suicides of two Iranian youths due to participation in the 'Blue Whale challenge.' He stated that 'the number of people who have committed suicide through this game worldwide is very negligible compared to the approximately one million people who die by suicide each year, with fewer than 30 reported cases.' This official reacted to the news of suicides due to participation in the 'Blue Whale challenge' in Iran, saying that 'the dissemination of news and clips related to this game will more likely lead to teenagers and youth gravitating towards it.' Concealment, contradictions, conflicts, and concerns are among the results of the emergence of the 'Blue Whale challenge' in Iran among cultural, social, and law enforcement institutions. The National Foundation of Computer Games is one of the institutions that has made significant efforts to prevent such a challenge from arising in Iran, but these efforts have not yet been successful. Hassan Karimi Qodosi, the CEO of the National Foundation of Computer Games, recently stated that 'because we did not want to inadvertently promote this game and encourage curious individuals to search for it, we preferred not to mention this game.' Karimi Qodosi criticized the media's performance in this regard, saying, 'We really have no idea how this game became a topic of discussion through state media, and now we are witnessing a wave of concern regarding this game that no longer exists.'