This file photo taken on Aug 11 shows a man wearing a face mask using his mobile phone in front of an advertising board in Beijing. State media reports have singled out gaming, with one article calling it 'spiritual opium' and another advocating an end to tax breaks for the sector.
Gaming appears to be the latest target for regulators who have already strafed mega-apps providing ride-hailing, personal finance and online learning, as the Communist Party refines the type of capitalism it wants for society. Minors complain that the measures are too sweeping, affecting even teens who have finished their university entrance exams and just want to relax.
Others have circumvented the policy altogether, by borrowing an adult's account or using their parents' mobile phones.