Happy Nice Mall

For almost any video game restriction, kids and teens will find a way around it.

But the room for maneuver is narrowing in China, where underage players must sign in using their real name and ID as part of nationwide regulations aimed at limiting screen time and controlling internet addiction. country in 2019 cyber curfew Prohibiting minors from playing games between 22:00 and 08:00

Acknowledging that crafty teens may try to use their parents’ devices or identities to circumvent restrictions, Chinese internet giant Tencent said this week it will bridge the gap by using facial recognition technology in video games.

“Guys, put your phones aside and go to sleep,” Tencent said. Declaration On Tuesday, when it officially introduced new features called “Midnight Patrol”. The broader presentation sparked a discussion about the technology’s benefits and privacy risks on Chinese internet platforms.

Some were in favor of controls, saying they would tackle adolescents’ internet addiction, but they also questioned how the data would be communicated to the authorities. Others said Tencent had taken an overly fatherly role.

“Such things should be done by parents,” wrote a user named Qian Mo Chanter on Zhihu, a Quora-like platform. “Control the boy and save the game.”

Thousands of internet users have complained about tightening controls and shrinking anonymity in cyberspace. A hashtag on Weibo, a microblogging platform, reminded players to make sure they’re fully dressed in case the camera catches more than their face.

Xu Minghao, a 24-year-old programmer in the northern city of Qingdao, said he would delete all video games that require facial recognition, citing privacy concerns. “I don’t trust any of this software,” he wrote to Zhihu.

Privacy concerns were widely discussed when the requirement for real-name registration for minors was introduced in 2019. Defining facial recognition technology as a double-edged swordThe China Security and Protection Industry Association, a government-affiliated trade group, said in an article published last year that mass collection of personal data could lead to security breaches.

Tencent said it started testing facial recognition technology in April to verify the age of night players and has used it in 60 games since then. In June, it required an average of 5.8 million users per day to show their faces when signing in, preventing more than 90 percent of those who refused or failed face verification from accessing their accounts.

Facial recognition technology is widely used in China to facilitate daily activities and regulate public behavior. Hotels use it when guests check in, while banks use it to verify payments. The government uses it tracking down criminal suspects. Even a city used technology embarrassing residents for their habit of wearing pajamas in public.

When it comes to video games, the government has long accused them of causing myopia, sleep deprivation and poor academic performance among youth. The 2019 regulations also limited how much time and money underage users can spend playing video games.

China isn’t the only country looking to rein in screen time. Last year, Kagawa Prefecture in Japan asked parents to set time limits for children under 20 without specifying enforcement mechanisms. Movement Encouraged a 17-year-old high school student to challenge the government in court. The case is still ongoing.

Hikari Hida Contributed to reporting from Tokyo.