China Imposes Curfew on Minors in Gaming Crackdown

The regulations will mean those under 18 cannot play games online between 10pm and 8am, and for only 90 minutes at a time during the daytime.

Advertisement
By Agence France-Presse | Updated: 8 November 2019 16:45 IST

China has imposed a curfew to limit the time spent by children playing games online, in the latest part of a government crackdown on youth gaming addiction.

The regulations will mean those under 18 cannot play games online between 10pm and 8am, and for only ninety minutes at a time during the daytime.

In addition, the guidelines will reduce the amount of money minors can spend online playing games to 200 RMB ($28) per month, rising to 400 RMB for those between 16 and 18 years old.

Advertisement

The new rules will also require all gamers to use a real-name registration and details such a WeChat account, phone number or ID number to sign up.

Advertisement

In the statement published Tuesday, the government also calls for games producers to "modify the game content, functions or rules" to avoid causing addiction in young players.

China is the world's biggest video game market, but the government has been tightening up on the industry amid concerns about health, worsening near-sightedness in children and online addiction.

Advertisement

A hashtag about the new rules was one of the most discussed on China's social media platform Weibo on Thursday with 210 million views.

"This statement just means that teenagers can't play the games, because for most teenagers in China, they need to go to school from 6.30am and end at 10pm," one user complained.

Advertisement

"It's a bit of a one-size-fits-all thing," wrote another, saying a graded rating system of games made more sense.

Another claimed that it was easy to obtain fake ID numbers online and that gamers would just use these to create their accounts.

Last year Beijing announced new controls on the number of games that can be played online, limited new releases, and imposed rules on underage players to reduce their screen time.

Chinese giant Tencent -- the planet's biggest game company -- announced in March it was implementing new curbs on underage video-game playing.

The gaming group had already has launched a real-name identification system for "Honour of Kings" to enforce playtime restrictions on youths.

 

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.

Further reading: China, Video Game, Tencent
Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. Top OTT Releases of the Week (Sept 1 - Sept 7): Know What to Watch
  2. Flipkart Big Billion Days Sale Date Revealed, Will Compete With Amazon Sale
  3. Oppo Reno 14 FS 5G Launches in Select Global Markets With These Features
  4. Samsung Galaxy S24 5G With Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Chip to Launch in India Soon
  5. Moto Book 60 Pro With Up to Intel Core Ultra 7 CPU Launched in India
  6. Amazon Great Indian Festival 2025: Smartphone Deals Teased Ahead of Sale
  7. You Can Now Create Projects in ChatGPT Without Paying for a Subscription
  8. Huawei FreeBuds 7i Launched With ANC, Spatial Audio Support: See Price
  1. OnePlus 15 Confirmed to Feature DetailMax Camera Engine; Tipster Hints at Next-Gen BOE Oriental Display
  2. Moto Book 60 Pro Launched in India With Up to Intel Core Ultra 7 CPU, 14-Inch OLED Screen
  3. OpenAI to Challenge LinkedIn With New AI-Powered Jobs Platform in 2026
  4. Samsung Galaxy S24 5G With Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Chip Confirmed to Launch in India, Will Go on Sale via Flipkart
  5. Huawei FreeBuds 7i Launched With ANC, Spatial Audio Support: Price, Specifications
  6. Bitcoin Holds Steady As Ethereum Gains From Strong ETF Demand
  7. Lava Bold N1 5G Launched in India With 90Hz HD+ Display and 13-Megapixel Rear Camera: Price, Specifications
  8. Hollow Knight: Silksong's Massive Launch Crashes Steam, PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Storefronts
  9. Amazon Great Indian Festival 2025: Deals on Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, iPhone 15, OnePlus 13s Teased Ahead of Sale
  10. Adobe Premiere App for iOS Introduced With Desktop-Like Controls, Generative AI Tools
Gadgets 360 is available in
Download Our Apps
Available in Hindi
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2025. All rights reserved.