Alipay Launches New Function to Prevent Minors From Game Addiction

Recently, online payment platform Alipay launched a new function called “Game Lock”, which can help parents monitor their children’s the game payments and game play duration.

When the function is enabled within a parent’s account and a payment is made through Alipay, the face-scanning system will appear after entering the password and payment will only go through once verified. According to officials, more than 150,000 users have enabled this function since it was launched one month ago.

Alipay’s “Game Lock” has been opened to about 70 major gaming companies, and the team is promoting the access of more manufacturers while continuing to optimize its functionality.

According to the Progress Report on the Protection of Minors in China’s Game Industry, with major gaming companies introducing measures to moderate the game play of those under 18, nearly 90% of minors have encountered anti-addiction restrictions when playing games, but using parents’ smartphone and accounts to play games and recharge is still one of the challenges.

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At the same time, Alipay also uses intelligent technologies such as human-computer interaction and identity authentication through family to identify whether the account is being used by a minor. At the beginning of this year, Alipay launched its “youth mode” with which parents can set payment limits for their children’s accounts.