On December 22, the National Press and Publication Administration solicited public comments on the "Measures for the Administration of Online Games (Draft for Solicitation of Comments)" (hereinafter referred to as the "Draft for Solicitation of Comments"), putting forward specific requirements for the publication and operation of online games and the protection of minors.
Say "no" to inducing rewards such as daily logins for online games
The draft for comments proposes to stipulate that online games must not set up inducing rewards such as daily login, first top-up, and continuous top-up. Online game publishing business units must not provide or condone high-priced transactions of virtual props through methods such as speculation or auctions. All online games must set user recharge limits and publicize them in their service rules, and pop-up warnings should be given to users' irrational consumption behaviors.
The draft for comments proposes to provide for "random selection" in online games. It clarifies that when providing random selection services, online game publishing business units shall make reasonable settings for the number and probability of drawing, and must not induce online game users to consume excessively. At the same time, users should be provided with other ways to obtain virtual props and value-added services with the same performance, such as exchanging virtual props and purchasing online game currency directly.
When online game publishing operations units terminate the publication or operation of online games, where online game currency that has not yet been used by online game users and game services that have not yet expired, the online game operations unit shall return them to the users in legal tender or in other methods accepted by the users, in accordance with the proportion at the time of purchase.
The standards for the issuance and purchase of online game currency should be transparent and reasonable
In terms of the issuance of game currency, the draft for comments proposes to provide:
(1) The scope of use of online game currency is limited to the exchange of online game products and services provided by oneself, and must not be used to pay for, purchase physical goods, or exchange products and services of other units;
(2) The issuance of online game currency must not be for the purpose of maliciously occupying users' prepaid funds, and the standards for issuing and purchasing online game currency must be transparent and reasonable;
(3) Users must not be provided with services for exchanging online game currency for legal tender, except in cases where online game publishing business units terminate the provision of online game products and services, and return unused online game currency to users in the form of legal tender or other methods accepted by users;
(4) Keep the purchase records of online game users, and the retention period must not be less than 2 years from the date of the user's single receipt of the service.
In terms of game currency transactions, the Draft for Comment proposes to provide:
(1) Must not provide transaction services for online games that have not been approved;
(2) Real-name e-RMB wallets shall be used to conduct online game currency transactions, and anonymous e-RMB wallet trading services shall not be provided to users;
(3) Technical measures should be employed to effectively supervise the transaction process, and transactions with illegal and suspicious conduct must be promptly reported to the relevant departments, so as to avoid facilitating illegal conduct such as online gambling and online fraud;
(4) After receiving the notice from interested parties, government departments and judicial organs, it shall assist in verifying the legality of the transaction, and if it is verified that it is an illegal transaction, it shall immediately take measures to terminate the transaction service and keep relevant records;
(5) Keeping transaction records and accounting records and other information between users shall not be less than 2 years from the date of a single transaction.
Online game content violations, subject to these penalties
The draft for solicitation of comments proposes to stipulate that where online games containing prohibited content are published or operated, in accordance with the provisions of article 62 of the "Regulations on the Administration of Publications" and article 20 of the "Measures for the Administration of Internet Information Services", the competent departments for publication are to order the deletion of the relevant content and make corrections within a set period of time, confiscate unlawful gains, and impose a fine of between 5 and 10 times the illegal business turnover if the illegal business turnover is more than 10,000 yuan; where the illegal business turnover is less than 10,000 yuan, a fine of up to 50,000 yuan may be given; and where the circumstances are serious, order the application for the edition number to be stopped within a set period of time; Suspend operations for rectification within a set period of time or have the competent departments for publication revoke the "Network Publication Services Permit"; where a crime is constituted, criminal responsibility is pursued in accordance with law.
These games prohibit minors from logging in
In terms of the length of time and consumption requirements for minors to play online games, the Draft for Comment points out that online game publishing business units should comply with the following provisions in accordance with relevant laws and regulations:
(1) Strictly control the time period and duration for minors' use of online games;
(2) Minors should be prohibited from logging in to games that are likely to lead to addiction and have content that is not suitable for minors to use;
(3) Strictly enforce restrictive requirements for the provision of paid services to minors, reasonably limiting the amount of spending by minors of different ages in the use of their services, and must not provide minors with paid services that are inconsistent with their capacity for civil conduct;
(4) Minors must not be provided with services such as account rental and sales, trading of game currency and virtual items, as well as third-party services such as sparring and playing on behalf of minors;
(5) Minors must not be provided with random selection services;
(6) Minors must not give tips in online game livestreams;
(7) The handling of minors' personal information shall comply with relevant laws and regulations;
(8) There must not be other online game operations that are detrimental to the health of minors.
In terms of verifying the identities of minors, the draft for comments proposes to provide that online game publishing business units shall verify the true identity information of minor users through necessary means such as a unified electronic identity authentication system for minors' online games.
The draft for comments proposes to provide that online game publishing business units shall establish and improve game rules to prevent minors from becoming addicted to the internet, and avoid minors' exposure to game content or game functions that might impact their physical and psychological health.
In addition, the draft for comments also clarifies the guardianship responsibilities of minors. The draft for comments proposes to provide that parents or other guardians shall perform guardianship duties for minors in accordance with law, guiding minors to use online games healthily and reasonably, to carry out activities that are beneficial to their physical and mental health, to develop good habits Xi of life, to establish a correct concept of online game consumption, to prevent and stop minors from becoming addicted to online games, and at the same time to increase their own online literacy, regulate their own use of online games, and strengthen guidance and oversight of minors' use of online games.
Encourage high-quality original games and international cooperation
It is worth mentioning that the draft for comments shows that it intends to encourage high-quality original games, international cooperation, etc.
Among them, the draft for comments proposes to encourage the research and development and promotion of online games that are guided by the core socialist values, develop advanced socialist culture, carry forward revolutionary culture, inherit excellent traditional Chinese culture, promote scientific and technological progress, have innovative value, are conducive to physical and mental health, and are entertaining.
In terms of encouraging international cooperation, the draft proposes to encourage online game publishing business units to explore overseas markets, strengthen international cooperation in online games, promote international cultural exchanges, and enhance the international influence of Chinese culture.
In addition, the draft for comments proposes that units and individuals that have made important contributions to promoting the healthy development of the online gaming industry are to be given commendations and awards in accordance with relevant state provisions.
Source: China News Network