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Vietnam Sets Mandatory 10pm Curfew for Online Video Games

by Robert Quigley | 9:44 am, February 23rd, 2011

South Korea’s proposed Internet curfew for youths from midnight to 6am seems positively namby-pamby compared to this actual measure being implemented by the Vietnamese government: Since the government thinks that people are wasting too much time playing online games, it is implementing a ban on online gaming from 10pm to 8am.

And this isn’t just a polite suggestion to the citizenry; rather, the government is asking ISPs to block online game access, effective March 3rd. Such blocks can in theory be evaded by using proxies: However, proxifying some popular games like World of Warcraft is rather tricky.

Vietnam News:

“Provincial departments of information and communication will inspect on-line games activities nationwide and deal with organisations that violate regulations by cancelling their services,” said the ministry’s Deputy Minister Le Nam Thang.

Internet management should be improved in a way that both meets the demand for information and ensures internet security while not affecting the lifestyle and customs of young people, said Thang.

…

Some on-line game service providers like VTC Intercom and Asiasoft said that the (internet access block) measure reduced entertainment access to adults who have paid a lot for internet access. They also said it created difficulties for the maintenance of on-line games.

Good idea for weaning a game-addled young population, or government paternalism at its worst?

(via 1up)

  • http://www.facebook.com/amedeus8 Nick Gotshall

    Didn’t the citizens of Egypt just *take over the fucking country* because their Internet was blocked? Why is every government suddenly seeing this as the best time to really amp up how much they’re blocking, as well?

    And they accuse Americans of not knowing what’s going on in the world. Geez, Vietnam. Watch the news once in awhile.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1757281518 Heather Provencher

    They didn’t take over the country because their internet was blocked, seriously. Or were you being sarcastic?
    Their internet was blocked because they were trying to take over the country. The internet going in and out of the country was blocked because the government tried to stop the spread of news and ideas once the revolution had begun.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1757281518 Heather Provencher

    That being said, I’m glad I don’t live in Vietnam.


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