Tencent limits kids' access to its gaming platform to 14 hours for 4 weeks

Tencent is going to implement a strict 14-hour limit on young gamers as they head off on their four-week winter break from school. According to a post by Tencent Games on its WeChat account, the company has drawn up a calendar from January 17 to February 15, including the weekends and the Lunar New Year holiday, when young video gaming subscribers are only allowed to play one hour each day.

It's also warning adults against allowing children to use their accounts to avoid these rules, telling adult users that the company will deploy facial recognition on accounts with suspicious activity. The warning comes after Beijing issued new rules last year to restrict online gaming among kids and teens.

“Elementary school kids have had their game time restricted for an entire semester. And now they're eager to indulge in some gaming fun during their winter break and the upcoming Spring Festival. Guess what? For this winter break, you can only play for a maximum of 14 hours!” Tencent's post reads in Chinese.

Last year, the Chinese state agency National Press and Publication Administration (NPPA) announced that online game providers may only offer one-hour time slots - from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m., to minors on Fridays, weekends, and official holidays.

Tencent reported that minors only accounted for 0.7% of time spent on domestic games in September - the month after Beijing's announced gaming restrictions - declining from 6.4% a year ago.