China: Consultation opened on Regulations on the Protection of Minors on the Internet (Draft) including content monitoring requirement

On 14 March 2022, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) has published and opened a consultation on the Regulations on the Protection of Minors on the Internet (Draft), which include rules prescribing permissible online content and restricting their accessibility to minors. The consultation will close on 13 April 2022. The Regulations would prohibit information harmful to the physical or mental health of minors, as well as obscene or pornographic content about minors, and content exposing their personal privacy. The Regulations would also prohibit cyberbullying behaviours towards minors, and ban the encouragement or inducement of minors to commit illegal acts. Further, online service providers, such as online games and online streaming services, would be required to implement specific user modes for minors and set a limit on daily use. Finally, online game providers would be required to alter game content to prevent minors from becoming addicted to the internet.