Notice of Further Strict Management to Effectively Prevent Minors from Addiction to Online Games

Promulgation Date: 2021-8-30
Title: National Press and Publication Administration's Notice of Further Strict Management to Effectively Prevent Minors from Addiction to Online Games
Document Number:国新出发〔2021〕14号
Promulgating Entities: National Press and Publication Administration
Source of text: http://www.nppa.gov.cn/nppa/contents/279/98792.shtml

To the relevant provincial, autonomous region, or directly governed municipality's bureaus for press and publications, all online gaming companies, and relevant industry organizations:

For a while now, the problem of overuse or even addiction to online games by minors has been prominent, creating a negative impact on normal life, study, and healthy growth, and all sectors of society, especially parents, have reacted strongly. Notice of the following requirements is hereby given in order to further make management measures stricter, to resolutely prevent minors from becoming addicted to video games, and to effectively protect their physical and psychological health.

I. Strictly restrict the times at which video games are provided to minors. Beginning on the date on which this notice takes effect, all online gaming companies provide one hour of video game services from 8:00 to 9:00 PM to minors each Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and on legally-prescribed holidays; online game services must not be provided to minors in any form during other times.

II. Strictly implement real-name registration and login requirements for online gaming user accounts. All online games must enter the National News Publication Bureau's real name verification system for the prevention of addiction to online games, and all users of online games must use truthful and valid identification to register accounts and login to online games; online gaming companies must not provide game services to anonymously registered or logged in accounts in any form (including guest trial modes).

III. All levels of department for the administration of publication are to strengthen oversight inspections of online gaming companies' implementation of circumstances such as the time and duration that video games are provided, real-name registration and logins, and regulating payments; increasing the frequency of inspections, and sternly addressing online gaming companies that have not strictly implemented them in accordance with law.

IV. Actively lead families, schools, and other parts of society to create a positive environment for the healthy growth of minors, to lawfully perform guardianship duties for minors, to strengthen minor's online literacy, to oversee and urge minors to use their real identity verification when playing online games, to strictly implement provisions on the time and duration that minors use online games, and to lead minors to form positive habits in the use of the internet, and prevent minors from becoming addicted to online games.

V. 'Minors' as used in this Notice refers to citizens not yet 18 years of age, and 'online gaming companies' includes platforms providing online gaming services.

This Notice takes effect pm September 1, 2021. Where provisions on the National News Publication Bureau Notice on Efforts to Prevent Minors Addiction to Online Games (GuoXinChuFa(2019)No.34) are not in accord with this Notice, this Notice is Controlling.

National Press and Publication Administration

August 30, 2021