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The Chinese government banned kids under 18 from playing online video games on school nights and will allow gaming for only one hour a day on weekends and public holidays. What's next, a broccoli mandate?
The announcement, courtesy of the National Press and Publication Administration (NPPA), amounts to the strictest rules introduced yet to curb video game addiction among China's youth.
So how will it be enforced? Parents aren't going to sit there with a stopwatch. All online video games are required to be connected to an “anti-addiction” system operated by the NPPA using real-name registration. Tencent, the world’s largest video game company by revenue, has already started using facial recognition technology to verify users.
Why it matters: The latest ruling reflects China’s determination to reshape its tech industry over concerns that kids’ brains are turning into oatmeal. Earlier this month, an article in state media called video games “opium for the mind,” wiping off nearly $100 billion in value from gaming stocks. Tencent’s market cap has lost more than $400 billion since a February peak.
Want more? We made a funny (and weirdly emotional) TikTok about the news. — SQ
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