China lays out regulations that seek to prevent minors from spending too much time on their smartphones

As the issue of online addiction becomes a significant concern in the modern world, China’s internet regulator has introduced new regulations aiming to prevent minors from excessive smartphone usage. These regulations could potentially impact social media giants like Tencent Holdings Ltd in the country. According to Bloomberg, the rules released by the Cyberspace Administration of China are among the most stringent globally.

The draft of the regulations, published on the regulator’s website, includes provisions that restrict “non-adult” children from accessing the internet through mobile devices between 10 pm and 6 am. It also limits mobile usage time for children aged 16 to 18 to a maximum of two hours. Furthermore, platforms are required to promote lullabies for children under three years old and educational news and entertainment content for those under 12.

The agency stated that its goal is to strengthen the protection of minors by creating an internet model suitable for young people, providing age-appropriate content, and reducing youth internet addiction and exposure to undesirable information.

The regulations are open to public feedback and may be subject to changes based on the received responses. The regulator plans to ensure compliance through measures such as periodic checks, assessments, and access to data and technology upon request. Platform providers will be responsible for enforcing the regulator’s requirements, although specific penalties for violations have not been specified yet.

Following the announcement of the new rules, Chinese technology shares in Hong Kong experienced a decline. Kuaishou Technology’s shares fell by about four percent, Weibo Corp’s value dropped by five percent, and Tencent’s value decreased by over three percent, as reported by Bloomberg.

This move is part of a broader campaign initiated by Beijing since 2021 to address what it perceives as social problems affecting minors and their families. Previously, China imposed restrictions on online gaming for children and declared for-profit after-school tutoring illegal.