Notice of the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio and Television on Further Strengthening the Management and Effectively Preventing Minors from Becoming Addicted to Online Games

Promulgation Authority: National Press and Publication Administration

Release Date: 2021-08-30

Effective Date: 2021-09-01

Original Title: 关于进一步严格管理切实防止未成年人沉迷网络游戏的通知

Source: https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/2021-09/01/content_5634661.htm

Guo Xin Chu Fa [2021] No. 14

To the Press and Publication Bureaus of all provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government, all online game enterprises, and relevant industry organizations:

For some time, the issue of minors excessively using and even becoming addicted to online games has become prominent, adversely affecting their normal life, studies, and healthy development, and has elicited strong reactions from all sectors of society, especially from parents. In order to further strengthen management measures, resolutely prevent minors from becoming addicted to online games, and effectively protect the physical and mental health of minors, the following requirements are hereby notified:

Article 1 Strictly restrict the time for providing online game services to minors. From the date of implementation of this Notice, all online game enterprises shall only provide online game services to minors for one hour per day from 20:00 to 21:00 on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and statutory holidays. At all other times, no online game services shall be provided to minors in any form.

Article 2 Strictly implement the requirements for real-name registration and login of online game user accounts. All online games must be connected to the real-name verification system for anti-addiction of online games of the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio and Television. All online game users must use authentic and valid identity information to register game accounts and log in to online games. Online game enterprises shall not provide game services in any form (including guest experience mode) to users who have not registered and logged in with real-name information.

Article 3 Publishing management departments at all levels shall strengthen supervision and inspection of online game enterprises regarding the implementation of service time and duration, real-name registration and login, and standardized payment, increase the frequency and intensity of inspections, and strictly deal with online game enterprises that fail to implement these requirements in accordance with laws and regulations.

Article 4 Actively guide families, schools, and all sectors of society to create a favorable environment for the healthy growth of minors, fulfill the guardianship responsibilities for minors in accordance with the law, strengthen education on network literacy for minors, urge minors to verify their identity when using online games, strictly enforce the regulations on the time and duration of minors’ use of online games, guide minors to develop good habits in using the internet, and prevent minors from becoming addicted to online games.

Article 5 For the purposes of this Notice, minors refer to citizens under the age of 18, and online game enterprises include platforms that provide online game services.This Notice shall come into effect on September 1, 2021. Where the relevant provisions of the “Notice of the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio and Television on Preventing Minors from Becoming Addicted to Online Games” (Guo Xin Chu Fa [2019] No. 34) are inconsistent with this Notice, this Notice shall prevail.

State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio and TelevisionAugust 30, 2021