Kharkiv National University of Internal Affairs, the Department of Cyberpolice, the Department of Juvenile Prevention of the Department of Preventive Activities of the National Police of Ukraine together with users of the Telegram chatbot "StopNarcotics" blocked the work of a dozen e-mail addresses of "death groups".
In May in 2016, so-called "death groups" began to appear on social computer networks, the administrators of which gave tasks to members of these communities in a quest form, mainly children, related to the implementation of actions that could harm health or to take life altogether. Much work has been done to identify and block the work of such groups, with the participation of law enforcement agencies in many countries, including Ukraine. This work continues constantly.
In late February 2021, reports began circulating on social computer networks and through the media that teenagers were about to commit suicide in masse in early March 2021. Due to the great informational attention to this event, new "death groups" began to appear on social computer networks.
The Department of Cyberpolice and the Department of Juvenile Prevention of the Department of Preventive Activities of the National Police of Ukraine together with representatives of Faculty № 4 (cyberpolice) of Kharkiv National University of Internal Affairs took joint measures to identify "death groups" on social computer networks. According to the results of the monitoring, it was established that such groups are currently placed in the Telegram messenger. In early March 2021, the representatives of the faculty № 4 of the university - the developers of the chatbot "StopNarcotics" - asked the users of the chatbot to take part in a campaign to send mass complaints to "death groups" in the Telegram messenger, which disseminates information about "safe ways" of suicide, encourage and incite young people to dangerous behavior, self-harm, etc.
With the help of citizens, a dozen e-mail addresses of "death groups" were blocked in the Telegram messenger. Work on identifying and blocking such groups will continue.