logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2025
30m 44s

The Internet’s Deadliest Game

Al Jazeera
About this episode

What if an online game could push teenagers to their darkest edge? The Blue Whale Challenge is rumored to have taken lives around the globe, igniting fear, panic, and speculation between parents. From Russia’s nationwide hysteria to stories of tragic teenage deaths worldwide, the phenomenon shocked millions. But does this deadly game even exist?

In this episode: 

Episode credits: 

This episode was written and produced by Anna Staufenberg and hosted by Halla Mohieddeen. 

Executive Producers: Ney Alvarez and Sandra Ferrari.

Production Managers: Archan Mohile and Bronte Baskin.

Senior Producer: Marthe van der Wolf.

Post-Production Supervisor: Andrés Rivera

Assistant Producers: Leo Danczak, Sophie McNulty, and Catherine Nouhan.

Fact-checking by Ruby Zaman.

Audio editing by Alan Leer.

Music composition by Tom Biddle.

Lead of Engagement: Aya Elmileik.

Engagement Producers: Adam Abou-Gad, Munera AlDosari, and Vienna Maglio.

Al Jazeera’s Head of Audio: Ney Alvarez.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Instagram, X, Facebook and YouTube

Up next
Yesterday
Drug Trafficking on the Dark Web
Ross Ulbricht built an empire in the shadows—a sprawling digital bazaar called The Silk Road, hidden on the dark web. There, drugs, weapons, and stolen secrets flowed freely, all paid for in untraceable cryptocurrency. To his global clientele, he was a legend: the Dread Pirate Ro ... Show More
40m 13s
Aug 10
A Tiny Island's Big Secret
Far out in the Pacific, Pitcairn Island was once seen as an untouched paradise. But beneath the tranquil surface, police uncovered years of devastating abuse—crimes against women and girls that everyone knew about, but no one stopped. When the truth finally emerged, it exploded i ... Show More
35m 14s
Jul 27
The Mom Who Fought a Cartel
Karen Rodríguez was kidnapped and murdered by one of Mexico’s most feared cartels in 2014. Most families would have been forced into silence, but not hers. Refusing to give up, her mum, Miriam Rodríguez, launched her own relentless quest for justice. In a country where cartels op ... Show More
40m 42s
Recommended Episodes
May 22
Murdered live on TikTok - Mexico’s femicide crisis
The world was shocked when a gunman shot and killed Mexican influencer Valeria Marquez while she livestreamed herself at a beauty salon. President Claudia Sheinbaum’s government says it will investigate the murder as a possible case of femicide. Will it mark a turning point for a ... Show More
22m 27s
May 10
Another Take: Will Diddy’s downfall shift the US music industry?
Every Saturday, we revisit a story from the archives. This originally aired on October 25, 2024. None of the dates, titles, or other references from that time have been changed. The sex trafficking trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs is under way in New York. The music mogul courted cont ... Show More
24m 53s
May 2024
Life Sentences
The families of Jordan Rasmussen and Buddy Booth realize the end of a trial doesn’t mean the end of their struggles. And only a year after Michael Moore is handed two life sentences, he makes a case for early release. But is the killer ready to take responsibility for the damage ... Show More
41m 47s
Apr 2024
Dead Men Speak No Lies
A delivery man making his rounds finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Buddy Booth discovers the body of Jordan Rasmussen at a stop on his delivery route and is shot in the back, forcing a second young widow to raise children without their father. For more on the Le ... Show More
42m 54s
Oct 2024
“I Did It”, Did Diddy’s Last Words Reveal More Than He Intended
"On this episode, Tony Brueski digs into the explosive case against Sean 'Diddy' Combs, exploring the viral spread of his haunting statement—'I did it.' With over 120 lawsuits filed against the music mogul and federal charges of sex trafficking and racketeering, the stakes couldn ... Show More
18m 52s
Oct 2024
How Diddy's Darkness Derailed Justin Bieber
In this episode of True Crime Deep Dive, we explore the complex and troubling relationship between pop superstar Justin Bieber and music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs. Bieber, who shot to stardom at the tender age of 15, was allegedly groomed by Diddy and introduced to a dark, hidden ... Show More
11m 17s
Apr 2025
Deadly Obsession
Kansas couple Mike Sisco and Karen Harkness are found dead by their parents before a family fish fry in 2002. A years-long search for evidence and three criminal trials over two decades reveal strained dynamics within one victim’s family. Andrea Canning reports.Keith Morrison and ... Show More
1h 22m
Aug 4
Targeted, killed, starved: journalists struggle in Gaza
Almost two years in, the war in Gaza is the deadliest conflict for journalists ever. With no foreign journalists allowed in, Palestinian reporters on the ground are the only ones who can tell the story to the world. But they face death threats, attacks, and now even starvation. H ... Show More
23m 18s