China's technology giant Tencent reaches out to individuals and organizations worldwide with its telecommunication services. Photo: cnsphoto

 Internet giant Tencent has launched a facial recognition mode to identity underage game players before allowing login and payment. It is the latest addition to a broad anti-addiction system designed to protect minors. 

According to Tencent Games, facial recognition mode will be activated when the system detects that a minor might be using an adult's account. The minor will be limited to 90 minutes of play per day on weekdays and three hours on holidays. 

Facial recognition mode will also be activated prior to payment. According to a statement released by Tencent Games on Wednesday, when users are "suspected to be a minor operating an adult's account," they are subject to a facial recognition process before making any payment more than 400 yuan ($56.40).  

The facial recognition system is aimed at detecting minors who are using adults' accounts to avoid exiting restrictions, and it is the company's latest move in a broad campaign to limit the time and money that minors spend on gaming. 

According to government guidelines issued in November last year, gamers under 18 are subject to a gaming curfew and are only allowed to play between 8 am and 10 pm, and gamers from eight to 16 years old are only allowed a monthly in-game expenditure of up to 200 yuan. 

The facial recognition feature has already been installed in Honor of Kings and Game for Peace, two of Tencent's most popular games in China. According to the Tencent statement, the feature will soon be used in all mobile games under Tencent.