Shanghai reveals its pilot for internet teenage mode as government efforts to curb gaming addiction ramp up
- Move comes after the government issued a new rule last Monday limiting gaming time for players aged under 18 to between 8pm and 9pm on weekends and holidays
- The guideline asks tech platforms to give ‘social interest’ content a high priority and enrich the overall pool for minors
Shanghai has revealed the pilot version of its teenage mode setting for tech companies, outlining the local government’s approach to protecting minors from gaming addiction amid a broader state crackdown on the country’s booming digital economy.
The 20-point guideline targets the city’s tech companies, which include video streaming platform Bilibili, social commerce platform Xiaohongshu as well as web novel publisher China Literature.
The move comes after the government issued a new rule last Monday limiting gaming time for players aged under 18 to between 8pm and 9pm on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and statutory holidays. It marked the country’s most stringent measure yet to tackle video gaming addiction among young people.
According to a summary published by the local bureau of internet watchdog the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), the Shanghai guideline “puts forward higher requirements in terms of strengthening the supply of positive energy content, verifying the authenticity of young people’s identity, and limiting the length of time they can use the internet.”
The guideline asks tech platforms to give “social interest” content a high priority and enrich the overall pool for minors to include knowledge, education, and popular science content. It also encourages platforms to use big data and algorithms to identify minors as registered users and set up different restrictions for those under 16, and those over 16.