Limitation on gaming time for individuals under 18 years of age in Vietnam from December 25, 2024

Limitation on gaming time for individuals under 18 years of age in Vietnam from December 25, 2024​ (Image from the internet)

On November 9, 2024, the Government of Vietnam issued Decree 147/2024/ND-CP regarding the management, provision, and use of internet services and online information.

Limitation on gaming time for individuals under 18 years of age in Vietnam from December 25, 2024

Based on the regulations at Point e, Clause 1, Article 39, and Point e, Clause 1, Article 48 of Decree 147/2024/ND-CP, companies providing online video games (commonly known as games), whether online or offline, must have technical equipment systems to ensure management of playing time during the day (from 00:00 to 24:00) for players.

The management of playing time during the day (from 00:00 to 24:00) for players under 18 years old is not to exceed 60 minutes per game, and not exceed 180 minutes per day for all games provided for players under 18 by the companies.

Additionally, game providers must have information that advises with the content “Playing more than 180 minutes a day will adversely affect health” in a noticeable position on the game forum (if applicable) and on the player's device screen, displayed every 30 minutes during gameplay.

This regulation is effective from December 25, 2024, when Decree 147/2024/ND-CP officially comes into effect.

Classification of online video games by player age from December 25, 2024 in Vietnam

In Clauses 1 and 2 of Article 38 Decree 147/2024/ND-CP, the classification of online video games according to the player's age is stipulated as follows:

(1) Online video games are classified by the following age groups:

- Online video games for players aged 18 and over (signified as 18+) are games without pornographic activities, images, sounds, language, dialogue; for games with competitive, combative activities, there is the use of weapons close-up images, characters simulating real people;

- Online video games for players aged 16 and over (signified as 16+) are games without pornographic activities, images, sounds, language, dialogue; close-up shots attracting attention to sensitive body parts; for combat games, there are no images or activities depicting violence;

- Online video games for players aged 12 and over (signified as 12+) are games without activities, images, sounds, language, dialogue, characters dressed skimpily, pornographic, close-up shots attracting attention to sensitive body parts; for games with competitive activities, only animate characters simulating or not simulating real people or using combat equipment without the presence of characters simulating real people during gameplay, utilizing weapons in animated form with no close-up weapon imagery; sound effects of weapon clashes are tempered;

- Online video games for players of all ages (signified as 00+) are simulated cartoon-form games; no combat activities with weapons; no ghostly, horrific, violent images or sounds; no activities, sounds, language, dialogue, or images with scantily clad, pornographic characters, spotlighting sensitive body parts.

(2) The responsibilities of online video game service providers in classifying games by age group:

- Self-classify online video games by the player's age as stipulated in (1);

- Display the results of online video game classification by the player's age in the application file for a license to provide online video game services. Classification of online video games according to the player's age is one of the assessed contents of online video games;

- Continuously display the game classification results on the game device screen and in advertising content; the display position is at the discretion of the enterprise. The symbol of the game classification result must be easily recognizable in size and color.

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