Limit game playing time for people under 18

- Becoming a means of entertainment for young people, online games are a concern not only for parents, but also for managers, because players are increasingly immersed in the virtual environment, spending too much time. Therefore, it is necessary to issue strict regulations to control and limit the time of playing games for people under 18 years old.

On November 9, 2024, the Government issued Decree 147/2024/ND-CP on management, provision and use of the Internet and information on social networks (replacing Decree 72/2013 and Decree 27/2018), effective from December 25, 2024. Specifically, all enterprises (DN) licensed to provide electronic game services must have a technical equipment system to ensure the management of playing time of players under 18 years old provided by the enterprise. Compared to Decree 72/2013/ND-CP, the new decree requires a technical equipment system to manage playing time for all types of games.

Specifically, video game manufacturers must ensure that players under 18 years old play 1 game for no more than 60 minutes/day. If a person under 18 years old plays multiple video games in 1 day, the total time must not exceed 180 minutes. The publisher must have a warning message "playing more than 180 minutes/day will have a negative impact on health", displayed in an easily recognizable location of the game, on the device screen with a frequency of 30 minutes/time during the entire game. The new Decree adds conditions for granting licenses to provide video game services, businesses must meet 11 conditions including technical issues, finance, human resources, connection...

Previously, Decree 27/2018/ND-CP only stipulated a time limit of 180 minutes and applied to games classified as G1 (with interaction between many players through the enterprise's server system). The new Decree stipulates a 60-minute playing time/game, and also applies to licensing all G1, G2, G3, G4 games (online, offline games, with interaction between players or players with the machine).

Enterprises must have a technical equipment system to ensure the storage and full update of player information in Vietnam, including: Full name, date of birth, mobile phone number; it is mandatory to authenticate player accounts by mobile phone number. Electronic game publishers must ensure conditions on game content, age classification, not simulate casino games, use card images or pornographic, violent and unethical actions. People under 16 years old must have their information registered by their parents or guardians.

Lawyer Phan Van Duoc (An Giang Province Bar Association) assessed that Vietnam is a country with a rapid development speed of information technology. Along with socio -economic conditions, infrastructure, technology and social management requirements, along with the needs of Internet users, participation in electronic games..., strict and clear regulations on time for people under 18 years old are very necessary. Enterprises providing electronic game services must strictly implement this requirement, as many countries in the world have done for a long time.

China prohibits minors from playing games from 10pm to 8am; they are only allowed to play for a maximum of 60 minutes per day on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. In 2011, South Korea passed an amendment to the Minors Protection Act (also known as the “Shutdown Act”), prohibiting people under 16 from playing online games between 0am and 6am. Parents and guardians have the right to choose their children’s playing time and register through the game provider’s management system, and monitor through their accounts.

Thailand has long limited playing time and strictly warned against video games. In 2023, they will impose a “curfew” on game servers, stopping operations from 10pm to 6am the next day. In addition, they will actively promote the harmful effects of playing games, establish game addiction treatment centers, and issue a new law on game control, expected to be submitted to the Thai Parliament in 2025.

"With the reality of Vietnam and experience in the world, the regulation limiting gaming time for people under 18 years old is just the first step in "legislating the control of playing time", protecting children from the potential dangers of online games. To ensure the feasibility of the above regulation, it is necessary to have the agreement and support of many related subjects, especially parents" - lawyer Phan Van Duoc emphasized.

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/an-giang-24-gio/ban-doc/gioi-han-thoi-gian-choi-game-nguoi-duoi-18-tuoi-a414520.html