Clips of the Tide Pod Challenge will soon be no more as all will be taken down on orders by Facebook and Google.
The challenge was to gulp down laundry detergent packets in front of the camera for the social media world to witness. Clearly, the stunt is risky and could prove deadly but youngsters brushed aside the danger in the name of instant fame.
Crackdown Mode Is Underway
Facebook and Google, however, are in a crackdown mode that is already underway. On its part, YouTube said video challenges that could spawn dangerous acts will be immediately flagged and marked for deletion.
"YouTube's Community Guidelines prohibit content that's intended to encourage dangerous activities that have an inherent risk of physical harm. We work to quickly remove flagged videos that violate our policies," the spokesperson for the streaming company owned and operated by Google stated.
The same will happen on both the Facebook and Instagram platforms. Clips showcasing individuals performing the Tide Pod Challenge will be banished.
"We don't allow the promotion of self-injury and will remove it when we're made aware of it," a Facebook representative said in a statement.
Courting Disaster
It remains a mystery how the crazy stunts started and spread. However, reports indicated the challenge took its root from an online prank that highlighted the tempting look of the Tide Pod, that it can be mistaken as a delicious candy. It seems that no one would call the dare as ingesting the detergent will amount to an infant-like behavior.
The Tide Pod Challenger, however, did pick up and quick. This January alone, 15 cases of intentional exposures involving the laundry detergent have already been reported to the American Association of Poison Control Centers. The organization noted that all incidents involved teenagers, so a decision was made to send out an alert.
The group warned that the challenge has become an alarming trend and several clips have gone viral and can be found on video-sharing websites, social media, and vlogging platforms. While no deaths or serious injuries have been reported so far, the association expressed deep concerns about the health risks posed by the challenge on unsuspecting young minds.
Killing The Lethal Trend
On its part, Procter & Gamble immediately launched into action when alerted about the situation to suppress the hazardous challenge. The company hired NFL star Rob Gronkowski to film a clip that will call on teenagers to stop eating Tide Pods. The official video, which can be viewed below, was an instant hit on Twitter.
In addition, Google made clear that a manual review is now in effect to identify and take down the harmful Tide Pod Challenge videos. At the same time, the YouTube owner issued a stern warning that uploaders, specifically channel owners, will be penalized accordingly.
What should Tide PODs be used for? DOING LAUNDRY. Nothing else.
Eating a Tide POD is a BAD IDEA, and we asked our friend @robgronkowski to help explain. pic.twitter.com/0JnFdhnsWZ
— Tide (@tide) January 12, 2018
