China’s National Press and Publication Administration rolled out measures in late August to prevent teenagers and young people from becoming addicted to online games.
In the strictest rules yet imposed on the online gaming sector, minors are only allowed to log into online games for three hours a week, from 8-9pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, as well as holidays. Real name identification also must be used to register on gaming platforms.
Children quickly found they were unable to log into saved games after tech platforms updated their systems and blocked accounts.
The move has been highly controversial. While apparently a majority of parents approved the measures, gamers called the rules too rigid and hard to implement. Opponents said that minors should learn to manage their time by themselves. Media reported that children are using their adult relatives’ IDs to log in, or are renting an adult account online. Observers say more detailed supporting and supervision measures are required to oversee the system.
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