Midnight Patrol: Chinese Schoolchildren Banned from Play at Night – New System Should Increase Control

Corporation Tencent announced the launch of the system developed in cooperation with the Chinese government services “Midnight patrol“, which will track minors who decide to play at night and block their access to popular games.

The need to combat excessive play among children in China was raised two years ago, citing data on the growing number of cases of myopia and other health problems among the younger generation.

In 2019, a system for accessing games under real names was deployed in China. At the same time, minors were banned from spending time in games between 22:00 and 08:00, but many continued to find various loopholes to bypass the restrictions.

New system “Midnight Patrol” should tighten control over violators… It provides access to games through a facial recognition system and works in conjunction with the database of the Central Public Security System of China.

In the first phase, “Midnight Patrol” was implemented in 60 hits, including the popular MOBA game Honor of Kings among Chinese teenagers. To access them, users must enter their real data and validate it with a real-time face scan. In case of refusal to agree with the new conditions, access is blocked

Chinese teenagers reacted negatively to the new restrictions and began to urge regulators to let them manage their time on their own. However, it is obvious that no one will cancel the system shortly after launch.

“Midnight Patrol” also does not apply, for example, to single console games, but console gaming occupies a small niche in China. The flagships of the country’s market are multiplayer computer and mobile projects.

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