The HCM City People’s Committee has asked the Government to ban onlinegame imports and advertisements nationwide in an attempt to crack downon games that contain violent content.
“The committee proposesthat online games not be allowed to develop because of their negativeinfluence on youth,” writes committee chairman Le Hoang Quan in a lettersent to the Government.
He also asked the Ministry ofInformation and Communications to create criteria for a rating systemthat would be based on the games’ content, including violence, gamblingor pornography.
Companies producing the online games that areallowed to be used would have to submit a social impact assessment tothe appropriate authority.
In order to divert youth’s attentionaway from online games, the city also recommends that all advertsrelated to online games be banned, similar to the ban on tobacco andalcohol adverts.
The city also recommends that gamers not be allowed to play from 11 pm to 6am every day.
Underthe proposal, gamers, like mobile phone subscribers, would be requiredto submit personal information declaration and registration.
They would only be allowed to play three hours a day, which could be managed and controlled through internet service providers.
Quanalso suggested that cities with a high proportion of gamers bepermitted to independently investigate and make decisions on online gamecontent and services./.