Dubai: There’s a new online game that’s been causing a great deal of controversy on social networking sites.

The game, called Mariam, was created on July 25, 2017, and has also received criticism by Sharjah and Dubai Police.

The story revolves around a child lost in the forest and asks players to help her find her way back home.

While the game is filled with frightening audio and visual sound effects, players are asked a series of personal questions as they accompany the little girl home – and there’s also a question about the Qatar crisis.

Colonel Obaid Saleh Hassan, an IT specialist at Sharjah Police, said that the data and information required in the game may be used by other parties for phishing, theft, or extortion.

Col Hassan also urged parents to monitor in their children’s activities, and encouraged them to keep their children’s leisure time with positive work and activities.

Dubai Police also called on members of the public to be aware of the consequences of joining Mariam’s Game, which has recently become a favourite among teenagers.

Major-General Khalil Ebrahim Al Mansouri, Assistant to the Dubai Police Chief for Criminal Investigation Affairs, has warned players against this game since it heavily relies on collecting personal and private information on players.

A number of Twitter users have also complained about the amount of personal questions asked in the game, which includes asking where players live.

Maj-Gen Al Mansouri, who was quoted in local Arabic media, also said that the game can gain access to a number of apps and folders from smartphones.

He pointed out that the game can retrieve pictures from the user’s photo album and learn about all your confidential information from the smart phone.