Eight agencies in Zhuhai, including the Municipal Political and Legal Affairs Commission, have jointly released an appeal on September 14, urging businesses to stop providing rental services of smartphones, tablets, and other smart devices to minors in violation of regulations. The initiative, published via the "Zhuhai Police" WeChat account, targets a growing problem near primary and secondary schools.
The appeal highlights that some shops around local schools have been offering "phone rental," "hourly device leasing," and "shared game consoles" to underage students. These practices are believed to breach several legal provisions, including Article 58 of the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Minors, as well as regulations governing internet access service venues and market entity registration in the Zhuhai Special Economic Zone. Such operations are seen as disguised internet service activities and unlicensed business conduct.
These actions are said to severely harm minors' physical and mental health, disrupt normal school education and teaching order, and damage the public interest of the underage population. Offending business operators may face warnings, confiscation of illegal earnings, suspension for rectification, revocation of business licenses or relevant permits, and fines of up to 500,000 yuan.
To safeguard minors' legitimate rights and foster a clean, healthy, and safe environment for their growth, the initiative calls on all sectors of society to take a firm stance. This includes resolutely refusing to rent out smartphones, SIM cards, tablets, or other smart devices to minors, and declining to provide internet access tools that could enable online gaming or the reception, forwarding, or spreading of harmful information.
The appeal also urges businesses to avoid offering information products and services, such as online games, audio-visual content, or applications containing obscene, gambling-related, or violent material that endangers minors' well-being, whether through fixed or mobile channels. When minors request rentals, operators should proactively decline, and parents and guardians are encouraged to monitor children's spending habits, particularly any requests for money under pretenses like "buying study materials" that might be used for device rentals.
The initiative further advises guiding children to use smart devices responsibly, cultivating healthy internet habits, and resisting harmful information. If abnormal patterns such as frequent rentals or addiction to mobile games are noticed, schools and relevant authorities should be informed to jointly protect minors' healthy development. Suspected violations involving rentals to minors can be reported through hotlines 110 or 12345.