Key takeaways:
- China’s internet watchdog, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), has proposed new regulations to limit the amount of time children spend on their smartphones.
- Children between the ages of 8 and 15 would be allowed only one hour of internet usage per day, while those between 16 and 18 would be limited to two hours.
- The CAC has invited public feedback on the draft rules, which will be open for comment until June 10.
China’s internet watchdog, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), has proposed new regulations to limit the amount of time children spend on their smartphones. The draft guidelines, published on Wednesday, would restrict the use of most internet services on mobile devices for minors between the ages of 8 and 18.
Children between the ages of 8 and 15 would be allowed only one hour of internet usage per day, while those between 16 and 18 would be limited to two hours. Those under 8 years old would be restricted to 40 minutes. The regulations would also prohibit minors from using the internet from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
The new rules are part of a broader push by Chinese authorities to curb and prevent addiction among those under 18 to apps and smartphones. The regulations could have a major impact on tech companies such as Tencent and ByteDance, which run social media platforms and online games.
The CAC has invited public feedback on the draft rules, which will be open for comment until June 10. If the rules are approved, they will come into effect on July 1.
The proposed regulations are the latest in a series of measures taken by the Chinese government to protect minors from the potential harms of the internet. In 2021, China introduced regulation that requires minors to register with their real names when signing up for online services. The government has also cracked down on online gaming, limiting the amount of money minors can spend on games and banning the sale of virtual weapons.
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