In the wake of the latest restrictions, more than 200 game companies in China have pledged to self-regulate the industry and cooperate with the government. They will use different methods to fight gaming addiction among minors, including facial recognition.
According to Reuters, the statement was published by the CGIGC gaming association, which is affiliated with the National Press and Publication Administration. The list of companies that signed it includes tech giants like Tencent and NetEase.
The convention reportedly has six main points (via GameLook):
- Game companies should establish work standards, plans, and rules they will follow to fight gaming addiction;
- Companies should implement authentication systems using real names, facial recognition, and other methods to identify minors and limit their playtime;
- Companies should prohibit harmful, nihilistic, filthy, pornographic, bloody, and other illegal and misleading content;
- Advertising platforms shouldn’t promote illegal content, and firms shouldn’t rent accounts to minors, so they could bypass restrictions and play online games;
- Companies should follow the market laws and not sell or distribute unlicensed games;
- Companies should cooperate with the government, report violations in a timely manner, and self-regulate their actions in accordance with the laws.
This agreement was signed in the wake of new restrictions introduced last month. Players under the age of 18 can now play online games only for three hours a week. The NPPA also slowed down the approval process for new online titles.