The Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) has dismissed claims by Liquid Telecom that ban of ’Blue Whale Challenge’ game is impossible because it is not a downloadable sport.
In a press briefing in Nairobi on Friday, KFCB said it has commitments from Google, Twitter and Facebook that the game will not be available on all platforms affiliated with the networks in Kenya.
KFCB chief executive Ezekiel Mutua said the ban is still in force across the country and that some of the administrators of the game have been identified as Kenyans who work with international networks.
“We would like to confirm although the game is not in the conventional format of computer games, which constitute downloading, installing and then playing, ‘Blue Whale’ can be accessed by children through the Internet. We call for calm as the situation is now under control,” said Mutua.
Liquid Telecom had earlier disputed government’s ban on the game blamed for the death of a teenager in Nairobi early this week. The internet service provider argued that the game is not downloadable, citing that it had conducted its own research into torrent flows; app downloads and network data, and confirmed there is no evidence of existence of any such game as a structured, downloadable product that can be classified or banned.
“We are investigating reports about the existence of foreign syndicates in the country dealing in child pornography and promoting illegal drugs through illegal websites. Once completed, all offenders will be arrested and prosecuted in line with the laws of Kenya,” added Mutua.
Mutua further said that the Board would be recruiting more examination and classification officers to get through content provided by Internet Service Providers.