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UK - NekNomination death: NI drinking game web page discontinued

edgarshade

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Aug 31, 2010
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BBC News

3 February 2014 Last updated at 18:23

A Northern Ireland-based social media page sharing videos of an internet drinking game is to be discontinued after the death of an Irish teenager. Jonny Byrne, who was 19 and from County Carlow, died after jumping into the River Barrow in Carlow on Saturday. His family said he had been playing the game known as 'NekNomination', in which people are encouraged to drink alcohol before posting a video online. An NI NeKNomination Facebook page is to become an alcohol awareness page. It follows an emotional appeal by the teenager's family and warnings from politicians on both sides of the Irish border about the dangers of taking part in the drinking game.

Lethal combination

A spokesperson involved in creating the page told the BBC: "We made the decision a few nights ago to no longer continue to run the page the way it was originally set up. "All videos have been removed and we'd like to continue as a Neknomination awareness page, highlighting the dangers surrounding the game." A Facebook spokesman later said the site aimed to be a platform for people to share freely whilst still protecting the rights of others. "We do not tolerate content which is directly harmful, for example bullying, but controversial or offensive behaviour is not necessarily against our rules," the spokesman said.

More...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-26013063
 
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