China's TikTok restricts children to 40 minutes on app a day
Youths in China will only be allowed to use their equivalent of TikTok for 40 minutes a day in an attempt to combat internet addiction.
ByteDance, which owns the Douyin app, say users under the age of 14 will only be permitted to operate it between the hours of 6am and 10pm.
In order to ensure the rules are followed, the system is supported by real-name authentication.
There will also be a limitation on the content children can access on the app.
“The measures would apply to all users registered with their real names and as being under 14 years old," Douyin said in a statement.
"The mandatory measures are designed to protect younger users from harmful content.
“Up to 40 minutes, a day of Douyin for younger users will henceforth serve up edifying content such as science experiments, museum exhibitions, and history lessons.”
Similar restrictions were introduced in China for video gamers under the age of 18, which were described as “opium for the mind” by the state media.
Youths are only to play games on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays between 8pm and 9pm.