Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Taipei City councilors yesterday urged the city government to draft regulations requiring retailers and Internet cafes to strictly follow the rating system in selling online games.
Showing the content of some of the most popular online games among teenagers, which contained violence, coarse language and bloody scenes, KMT Taipei City councilors Lee Yen-hsiu (李彥秀) and Chin Li-fang (秦儷舫) condemned the central and local governments for allowing teenagers to have easy access to online games, which are sold in convenience stores, supermarkets or Internet cafes.
“Many of these online games are rated restricted or have even been banned in other countries such as South Korea and Australia, but our kids can easily purchase these games. Are we living in anarchy in Taiwan?” Lee said at Taipei City Council.
Chin said the legislature is expected to pass an amendment to the Children and Welfare Act (兒童及少年福利法) in October regulating both online and single-player video game ratings and banning computer associations and Internet cafes from selling restricted games to youngsters.
“The amendment would require Internet cafes and shops that sell computer software to stop selling restricted online games to teenagers, but it does not stipulate any fine for businesses that refuse to cooperate. This is a passive regulation,” she said.
Chen Kuan-lu (陳光陸), head of the Taipei Municipal Elementary School Parents Association, voiced concern over what he called the city government's failure to regulate Internet cafes and video game retailers, saying that it had exposed children to violence and sex through video games.
A survey conducted by the Child Welfare League Foundation showed that teenagers playing video games increased from 62 percent in 2006 to 88 percent this year.
More than 10 percent of teenagers said they stayed up late to play video games.
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