Late-night game parlours to be banned after 10pm

The Ministry of Information and Communication has asked internet service providers to block access to o­n-line games each day from 10pm to 8am by March 3.The request, made o­n Feb. 16, is another move from the authority to mitigate the side effects of o­nline games."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.The request follows numerous stiff measures by the ministry to tackle the issue, including cutting internet access to agents at night beginning last September.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.In addition to the temporary measure for o­n-line gaming and internet agency management, the ministry plans to revise the decree this year in order to make improvements in the near future.Vietnam currently has around 23 million internet users, accounting for 26 percent of the total population, according to the ministry.