China is considering to regulate internet gaming use by banning young people under 18 years old to play online games after midnight.

The country introduced its proposed "Regulations on the Protection of Minors Network" last week, which targets to address gaming addiction, a growing problem in the country, among young people.

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The newly proposed regulation encourages schools to cooperate with institutions to help and rehabilitate young people addicted to the Internet, according to International Business Times.

Under the proposed policy, game developers will be given the responsibility to block minors from playing online games between midnight and 8 A.M. every day. A time limit on how long young people should play will also be imposed.

Players under the age of 18 will be required to register using their ID cards. Then, the game will cut as soon as the player hits the banned hours, the Daily Mail reported. All information provided should be stored in the operator's servers.

The proposed rule was released by the Cyberspace Administration of China on their website on Sept. 30. It is open for public comments until the end of the month.

The initiative is China's latest effort to curb young people from spending too much time on online games. However, this is not the first time officials intervened.

In 2007, China issued a notice requiring internet game operators to install systems to prevent internet addiction, like deducting points from minors if they spend more than three hours on game. However, the regulation was put to an end three years after as teens were started registering under fake adult IDs, South China Morning Post noted.

China has the biggest gaming market in the world, according to CCTV News. Last year, its revenue reached up to $22 billion. As of June 2016, a report from China Internet Network Information Center revealed that nearly one-quarter (23%) of China's 750 million internet users are minors (below 19 years old).

Tagsinternet addiction, online gaming, online games, china, minors, Cyberspace Administration of China