Smartphone makers will have a new minor protection rule to comply with as Beijing strengthens controls on devices
- China’s powerful internet watchdog plans to make the ‘minor mode’ mandatory for device makers and app store operators
- New rules would limit usage of phones and tablets to a maximum of 40 minutes per day if the user is under 8 years old
Smartphone and tablet makers such as Apple and Xiaomi will have a new rule to comply with in China, which has some of the toughest video game restrictions in the world, as Beijing moves forward with requirements for a “minor mode” option on all electronic devices.
According to a draft regulation published by the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), the powerful internet watchdog plans to make the “minor mode” mandatory for device makers and app store operators, upgrading the current practice whereby individual apps simply need to provide a “youth mode” option.
Beijing has already successfully restricted online video games for minors, with players aged under 18 only allowed to play online games for three hours per week.
The restrictions have put heavy compliance pressures on leading video game developers Tencent Holdings and NetEase.
Under the newly-proposed regulation, which is open to public feedback until September 2, the government wants a “minor mode” on smart gadgets via the power on button, the interface logo or the system setting.
While most smart devices, including iPhones, have preinstalled functions for parents to control how kids use smart devices and what content they can view, the new regulation is much more extensive.