Setting the standard for games juveniles play

Against the regulation that requires real-name registration and limits juvenile user's usage time, some children are using their parents' login credentials to spend more time online and even making use of their payment options to splurge. It is against this backdrop that the Internet Society of China released a standard governing juveniles' online game consumption, to solicit public opinion on May 28.

According to the document, if the online company hasn't effectively implemented a monthly consumption ceiling system, under which a user under 16 years of age is allowed to pay no more than 200 yuan ($27.6) and one aged 16-18 no more than 400 yuan, then it should bear all responsibility and return the extra money spent.

And if the guardian is found to have provided his/her profile and payment details to the juvenile to evade the consumption ceiling, he/she should be considered responsible for the excessive consumption and there can be no refund.

The draft standard is expected to clear the ambiguity in online game issues, thus minimizing disputes and promoting the healthy development of the industry. Greater participation from parents and schools in implementing the standard is all that is needed now to ensure the online companies do not dominate the process.

To solve the excessive consumption disputes is only one way of regulating the industry and promoting juveniles' healthy gaming habits. More standards are needed, such as in deciding what kind of games are safe for juveniles and how many hours they can spend on such games. Only with such rules can the industry prosper and serve juvenile players better.

- ECONOMIC DAILY