YouTube Responds to Parents 'Momo' Fears

The terrifying Momo Challenge has reportedly made its way into children’s YouTube videos.

But, YouTube says it has not ‘received any recent evidence’ of these videos.

The challenge is tied to the unsettling image of a woman with grotesque features, ripped off from the work of Japanese doll artist Midori Hayashi.

It appears to follow roughly the same script every time: first, users are challenged to contact ‘Momo’ by sending messages to an unknown number – then, they’re hounded with frightening images and violent messages.

Despite the mounting warnings, though, actual examples of the Momo Challenge have remained difficult to nail down.

YouTube responded to the reports today after initially staying silent on the topic.

‘Contrary to press reports, we’ve not received any recent evidence of videos showing or promoting the Momo challenge on YouTube,’ a YouTube spokesperson told the DailyDot on Wednesday.

‘Content of this kind would be in violation of our policies and removed immediately.’

Still, authorities and schools have issued warnings to parents across social media to be on the lookout for the references to the disturbing challenge.

In a chilling Facebook post this week, a concerned mother shared her six-year-old daughter’s detailed account of how she was targeted by the Momo Challenge while watching a Peppa Pig video on YouTube Kids.

Another horrifying story shared by a kids’ hair salon in Gloucestershire claimed the challenge provoked a five-year-old girl to hack off her own hair.

Parents are also warning people of it appearing on Fortnite and Minecraft.

Code9 Parent has shared some helpful tips to keep kids safe online. See below.

PLEASE always keep track of your children’s online activities.

If you hear this song playing from your child’s tablet, mobile device or laptop, you need to act.

The lyrics are creepy and are sure to scare children with lines like: “Momo’s going to kill you” and “She will get you, when you’re home alone”.

Share your comments below

28 Comments

- - meedee said
  - 20 Feb 2023
    11:25 am
I this turned out to all be a hoax

- - serotonin said
  - 30 May 2019
    8:55 pm
Never seen Momo before and heard it was all a hoax, scaremongering. I had a friend first tell me about it saying he was banning YouTube for his kids. None of my 3 kids have seen it, nor have I seen it.

- - ella12 said
  - 30 Apr 2019
    11:19 pm
This creepy and cruel and extremely concerning.

- - mom343701 said
  - 01 Apr 2019
    7:20 am
turn the wifi off overnight when you cant see what they are on

- - mom101628 said
  - 21 Mar 2019
    10:34 pm
Another good reason to make sure your children use their devices in front of you and not in their bedroom alone.

- - MrsA said
  - 09 Mar 2019
    2:57 pm
Supervise your children on technology. We live in a scary world.

- - rovermum said
  - 06 Mar 2019
    12:33 pm
This is absolutely horrific and I am sharing and discussing with anyone I know that is a parent to a young child. I have no words for how horrific I think this is.

- - mom93821 said
  - 04 Mar 2019
    7:48 pm
How hideous to scare people; particularly children. Let’s hope anyone behind this gets caught and charged.

- - littlehandsofmine said
  - 04 Mar 2019
    7:40 am
This is really horrifying. Truly horrifying.

- - mom19782016 said
  - 02 Mar 2019
    9:04 am
Please stop posting this image!! Where’s the responsible journalism these days? You can still provide the content without the scaremongering or graphic images.

- - mom90758 said
  - 01 Mar 2019
    6:30 pm
Shouldn’t the video be taken down by YouTube? I don’t like it all!! Scary to think what kids could do! 🙁
- Ellen replied
  
  03 Mar 2019 , 3:04 am
  Yes I agree !
  - mom19782016 replied
    
    23 Mar 2019 , 9:58 am
    
    I also agree, it shouldn’t be online anymore
- - BellaB said
  - 01 Mar 2019
    6:07 pm
I’ll watch this later when none of the kids are around!

- - mom343701 said
  - 01 Mar 2019
    3:59 pm
not nice

- - mom112217 said
  - 01 Mar 2019
    1:24 pm
A very scary image for any one to take in!

- - mom81879 said
  - 01 Mar 2019
    9:52 am
Well I’m confused. Parents have proof of it being out there and happening, but YouTube have got nothing :/ I think they should be out looking for it so they can shut it down. To have this appearing thru shows such as Peppa Pig, they are targeting such young ones

- - Ellen said
  - 01 Mar 2019
    9:34 am
So so wrong !!

- - Cookfromscratchmum said
  - 01 Mar 2019
    9:15 am
Iam going to ask my kids
this is horrible no wonder some kids wake up at night having nightmares

- - littlehandsofmine said
  - 01 Mar 2019
    7:59 am
This is truly horrible! I would keep my kids off internet all together.

- - rachel1970 said
  - 01 Mar 2019
    7:12 am
That scares even me. One look at that face and I’m sh*****g myself, imagine what that would do to a child. Shocking.

- - rnash02 said
  - 01 Mar 2019
    6:35 am
This is scary
My kids haven’t said anything as yet.