China proposes to limit children’s smartphone time to maximum two hours a day

Only certain services, such as apps or platforms that are deemed suitable to the physical and mental development of minors, will be exempted.

Children between the ages of eight and 15 would be allowed only an hour a day (Alamy/PA)

China’s internet watchdog has laid out regulations to curb the amount of time children spend on their smartphones, in the latest blow to firms such as Tencent and ByteDance, which run social media platforms and online games.

The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) published the draft guidelines on its site, stating that minors would not be allowed to use most internet services on mobile devices from 10pm to 6am, and that children between the ages of 16 and 18 would only be able to use the internet for two hours a day.