Uncontrolled screen addiction has again crossed into tense legal territory. A father in Tanghe County, Henan Province, China, filed a civil lawsuit against four major gaming industry giants —miHoYo, Tencent, NetEase, and 37 Interactive— demanding a symbolic payment of ten yuan for moral damages after his son’s severe health crisis.

The young man, who turned eighteen early in 2026 while attending technical school, had been severely addicted to online games for years. According to court records, he often played until 3 or 4 AM, minimized communication with his family, and lost nearly ten kilograms. On his main account, he averaged over two hours of play daily, accumulating 1,868 hours. The situation worsened in May 2026 when he ingested eighteen fever capsules without being ill, collapsing and requiring emergency hospital treatment for poisoning.

The plaintiff clarified that the demanded sum is purely symbolic. His real goal is to force developers to close technical loopholes that allow minors to bypass China’s restrictions, which limit gaming to one hour on weekends. The father argues that thousands of teenagers evade the block by renting adult profiles or using their parents’ IDs, bypassing facial verification. Although the companies postponed the hearing by appealing jurisdictional objections, the plaintiff maintains that the companies have sufficient biometric tools to prevent more young people from risking their lives.

Given that verification gaps allow thousands of youths to bypass legal gaming limits, do you think responsibility lies solely with parental supervision, or should gaming companies implement mandatory biometric checks during gameplay?