Authorities warn parents of viral threat 'Momo'

The Ghastly image of Momo – a creepy doll created by a Japanese artist – which was reportedly used online to induce children into self-harm has alarmed authorities in Turkey.

As reports spread of the "Momo Challenge" on social media, which instructs minors to partake in dangerous tasks and encourage them to "cut their wrists," the Digital Transformation of Office of the Turkish Presidency listed a series of measures for concerned parents.

The list of measures, called "Momo: Measures against Digital Abuse Attempts," was published online and warn families against "manipulation of society by exploiting children's fears and cyberbullying." The warning urges parents to monitor their children's social media activities and turn on sensitive content filters on video-sharing websites. "Do not accept online messages, requests from strangers, especially messages sent from phone numbers originating from Japan, Colombia and Mexico and tell your children to do so as well," the warning says. The Digital Transformation of Office also urges parents to block their children from contacting people they do not know online and anonymous social media accounts. It also calls parents to monitor friendship requests in online games their children play and regularly monitor online surfing history in devices with an internet connection that children use.