What is #CoupleChallenge and why is the police warning people not to participate?

Team Udayavani, Sep 28, 2020, 12:16 PM IST

A new trend named #CoupleChallenge is going viral and people are participating to celebrate their relationships online through various social media platforms.

Under the Couple challenge, people around the world have been sharing pictures with their spouses or partners on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

The challenge also sparked a flurry of memes on social media, with some people using editing software Photoshop to digitally insert themselves into pictures with their favourite celebrities.

However, the challenge has prompted authorities to warn users against sharing their images online after receiving complaints from people whose pictures and personal information were misused by cyber criminals.

Police officials claim that many of these pictures are being morphed, edited or used for pornography, deepfake, or other cyber crimes.

Recently, on its official Twitter handle, Pune Police posted a message, warning, “Think twice before you post a picture with your partner. A ‘cute’ challenge can go wrong if not cautious! #BeAware.”

Think twice before you post a picture with your partner. A ‘cute’ challenge can go wrong if not cautious! #BeAware pic.twitter.com/oJkuYdlBWZ

— PUNE POLICE (@PuneCityPolice) September 24, 2020

Reports suggest that they received a number of complaints from people who had suffered harassment.