China has forbidden under-18s from playing online video games for more than three hours a week, a move it said was needed to pull the plug on a growing addiction.
The rules from the National Press and Publication Administration (NPPA) regulator published on Monday August 30th apply to any and all devices including phones and tablets and limits under-18s to playing for one hour a day 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. and only on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and statutory holidays, according to Xinhua state news agency.
Gaming companies will be barred from providing services to minors in any form outside the stipulated hours and must ensure they have put real-name verification systems in place, said the regulator, which oversees the country’s video games market.
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