WeChat Video Account upgrades to Youth Mode! Improve pop-up window prompts and time limits

Yesterday, WeChat officially announced that after the People's Procuratorate of Haidian District, Beijing received reports from the public and launched an investigation into WeChat's youth mode and issued an announcement, WeChat immediately made a special report to the procuratorate and regulatory authorities, and learned that the "youth mode" of the video account needs to be optimized in terms of time management, permission management and other functions.

The official said that they will sincerely accept the supervision of the procuratorate, resolutely implement the "Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Minors" and other relevant legal provisions, and will continue to actively assume the social responsibility of protecting and guiding young people.

On August 7, the "Video Account Youth Mode Optimization Team" was immediately established to fully implement relevant laws and regulations.

It is understood that under the guidance of the competent authorities, WeChat has continuously optimized four functions since the launch of the youth mode: parents can set the opening scope of products such as video accounts, official accounts, and mini-programs; display a youth-exclusive content pool under the video account; close the live broadcast entrance, and youth users cannot initiate live broadcasts or use live broadcast rewards; and cannot use Q coin recharge, credit cards and other functions.

It is worth mentioning that WeChat said that it will continue to optimize the product experience in the future and upgrade three measures: strengthen the pop-up prompt function of the youth mode of the video account, and continue to enrich the construction of the youth-exclusive content pool of the video account; optimize the opening or closing operation of the youth mode, and provide more strong verification methods; improve the usage time limit and curfew function under the youth mode of the video account.

Recently, the People's Procuratorate of Haidian District, Beijing, issued an announcement stating that WeChat's "Youth Mode" is not in compliance with the "Law on the Protection of Minors" and infringes upon the legitimate rights and interests of minors. The People's Procuratorate can support civil public interest litigation in accordance with the law.

The announcement stated that institutions and social organizations that intend to file a civil public interest lawsuit against WeChat can provide written feedback on the relevant situation to the Haidian Procuratorate within 30 days.

WeChat said that it will carefully examine the functions of WeChat's youth mode, humbly accept user suggestions, and sincerely respond to civil public interest litigation.

[[416027]]