Minors barred from buying gifts for livestreamers

A new document has banned minors from buying virtual gifts for livestreamers and those under the age of 16 from performing as livestreamers.

People aged between 16 and 18 who want to be livestreamers must get their guardians' consent, said the document, which was jointly issued on Saturday by the Office of the Central Commission for Guiding Cultural and Ethical Progress, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the National Radio and Television Administration and the Cyberspace Administration of China.

The rules aim to establish a long-term supervision mechanism and promote the standardized and orderly development of the livestreaming industry, according to the document.

Online platforms should strictly enforce real-name registration requirements and stop offering minors services that allow them to top-up accounts, buy virtual gifts and make online payments, it said.

Platforms are not allowed to develop or launch apps that encourage minors to buy virtual gifts or create gifts that minors might be enticed to buy.

The regulations require platforms to improve services for teenagers and stop offering services to minors after 10 pm.

Platforms should establish an exclusive customer service team for minors and prioritize their complaints and disputes in a timely manner. Platforms should also investigate incidences of minors using adult accounts to buy virtual gifts for livestreamers and issue refunds to such accounts, it said.

An official with the Office of the Central Commission for Guiding Cultural and Ethical Progress said that the rapid rise of livestreaming in recent years has led to the development of a new and emerging cultural industry.

However, problems-such as some platforms' failure to carry out their responsibilities, uneven quality among livestreamers and improper virtual-gift buying-have resulted in minors indulging in livestreaming and participating in buying virtual gifts, behavior that is seriously harming their physical and mental health, the official said.

The official added platforms should conscientiously implement relevant policies and regulations and improve their management systems, while livestreamers should improve their legal awareness and the quality of their content.

The document also calls for the establishment of an interagency coordination mechanism to improve supervision.