Alipay has recently launched a “game lock” function to help parents better manage game payment by minors, the company told the Global Times on Tuesday.
After parents enable the new function, payments for gaming products or services through Alipay, the mobile payment platform of Alibaba Group, will require face verification from the parents in addition to entering password. The transactions will only be processed after the system has received sufficient verification.
More than 150,000 users have enabled the “game lock” in its first month since the launch, domestic tech news portal 36Kr reported.
While launching the “game lock” function, Alipay has also been adopting new technology such as human-computer interaction to identify if an account is being used by a minor, Chinanews.com reported on Monday.
Earlier this year, Alipay launched “teen mode” which parents can set payment limits for their children’s accounts. If parents find that minors are induced to online gaming and paying for live-streaming sessions, the parents can report issues through Alipay’s reporting center.
The “game lock” function has access to some 70 mainstream game services in the country, and currently supports identification when transactions are made through the Alipay App.
Chinese regulators have implemented a raft of measures such as limiting time spent playing online games for minors to further curb youth gaming addition since August, 2021.
According to a notice issued by the National Press Publication Administration in August, all online game enterprises can only provide online game services to minors for only one hour on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays from 8 am to 9 pm, while strictly implementing real-name registration and log-in.
A view of Alipay’s building in Lujiazui, Shanghai in January. Photo: cnsphotos
