According to
state media reports cited by Bloomberg, Chinese gaming platforms such as
Tencent and
NetEase, are expected to limit online gaming for minors to 3 hours per week. The change is being made in response to growing concerns over gaming addiction and a broader crackdown on China's tech giants.
Children under 18 years of age will now be restricted to just 1 hour of gaming, from 8 PM to 9 PM, on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays. Gaming companies must restrict online gaming outside of these hours,
according to Reuters, and must have a real-name verification system to ensure that the new rules are enforced.
Regulators say they will also work with parents and schools to help combat gaming addiction among Chinese youth.
"This decision is the strictest yet and will essentially eliminate most minor spending, which we noted was already extremely low," said Daniel Ahmad, an analyst at Niko Partners.
These new rules issued today (30) come a month after an article published by state media described online games as "spiritual opium." Although the phrase was later removed, the tone of the article, especially in retrospect, left little doubt that state intervention was inevitable.
Source: The Verge
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