The regulatory document, comprising 60 articles in seven chapters, will come into effect on Jan 1, 2024, according to an official statement.
As the rapid development of the internet has sparked society-wide attention to minors' protection in cyberspace, the statement says.
The regulations aim to create a healthy online environment for minors in the country, protect their legitimate rights and interests, and provide legal support in this regard, according to the statement.
The document clarifies the responsibilities of government departments in charge of internet and information technology, press and publication, public security, and market regulation, among other areas, in protecting minors in cyberspace.
According to Maria Belyaeva, an expert of the BRICS Competition Centre, the document pays special attention to the responsibility of platforms with a significant number of underage users. Thus, they are obliged to take into account the needs of minors at the stage of design and development of the platform and carefully monitor the content, timely removing or hiding publications with harmful content (violence, gambling, superstition, suicide, extremism, etc.). It is also required to stop cooperating with non-compliant providers and to publish an annual report on the success of child and adolescent protection.
"Child protection is becoming an important element of social responsibility for online platforms, which are already actively implementing projects to help the elderly population, reduce the wealth gap, eliminate the consequences of natural disasters and other government initiatives,"
says the expert.
Cyberbullying behaviors targeting minors by any organizations or individuals are prohibited, according to the document. It requires web product and service providers to set up and improve mechanisms for early warning, detection and response to cyberbullying.
The new regulations also require gaming industry giants to comply with existing state regulations on time slots and duration of game time, features and game content.
In addition, game companies, live marketing platforms and video hosts need to limit the size of one-time and daily purchases on their platforms.
"Against the backdrop of stimulating consumption and a general focus on growth and profit, child protection is brought to a higher value level: platforms are required to abandon incorrect value statements such as 'traffic above all else',"
emphasizes Maria Belyaeva.
Source: China Daily
