A News Agency

According to CCTV, the Cyberspace Administration of China has prepared a draft containing new guidelines and regulations aimed at ensuring that minors use the internet in a healthy and safe manner.

The draft, released to the public on Friday, will remain open for public comments and suggestions until October 17.

The draft calls for encouraging the research, development and production of smart terminal products specifically designed for minors and suited to the characteristics of their physical and mental development.

The regulations also include restrictions on online social networking services and virtual intimate relationship services that could cause addiction among minors or harm their physical and mental health.

According to the draft, internet services such as online social networking and artificial intelligence services that may affect the cognitive development of children under the age of 16 may only be provided under a “minor mode”.

Under the “minor mode”, functions are planned such as identifying online content that may harm minors' physical and mental health, protecting their personal information and rights, preventing internet addiction and making it easier for parents to fulfill their supervisory responsibilities.

According to China's 57th Statistical Report on Internet Development, as of December 2025, there were more than 200 million internet users aged 6 to 19 in the country.

Wang Zhiqin, deputy director of the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, said the impact of social media on minors' mental well-being, behavior and safety is becoming increasingly evident.

Wang said that, for this reason, a growing number of countries and regions are exploring ways to raise the legal thresholds governing minors' use of social media platforms.

Wang said the draft offers a China-specific model for protecting minors online and represents a response to the global trend toward stronger protection in this area.