China forbids black market in online gaming accounts

The National Internet Information Office of China has reassessed several of the government's previous internet crackdowns in order to put an end to workarounds such as renting or selling accounts for online games to minors to avoid Beijing's three-hours-per-week playtime limit.

China's legislators imposed time limitations on gaming in August, restricting it to 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday — with an extra hour permitted as a reward on public holidays.

According to Beijing, this measure is a vital precaution to prevent gaming addiction, as it adopts the idea that gaming is unproductive and anti-social, and does not reflect Chinese values. However, the regulations immediately spawned a black market for online gaming accounts, which Beijing is attempting to eliminate

The Internet Information Office has also reviewed recent rules on instant messaging, news information, forums and communities, live webcasts, knowledge Q&As, life services, e-commerce, and online videos, according to the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission (CAC).