Young gamers in China are about to be banned from playing online games for more than three hours a week.
According to a news release from The National Press and Publication Administration, those under 18 can only play online games between 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays starting September 1.
The new rules are a major step up from a previous restriction set for minors in 2019, limiting their game time to 1.5 hours per day and three hours on public holidays.
The new regulations will likely impact some of China's largest technology companies, including gaming giant Tencent.
According to the news release, all online gaming companies must strictly implement real-name registration and login requirements for all their online user accounts. NPPA regulators also said they will be strengthening supervision and the frequency of inspections for online gaming companies.
In the news release, regulators said the crackdown on the technology sector is in an effort to protect the physical and mental health of minors as online games continue to be a prominent problem in the country.
