On September 14, the "Zhuhai Political and Legal Affairs" WeChat official account published a public proposal titled "Proposal to Refuse the Provision of Illegal Mobile Phone Rental Services to Minors", which was jointly signed by eight major municipal departments in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province. The full text of the proposal is as follows.
The proposal emphasizes that minors are the future of the nation and the hope of the people, and that safeguarding their healthy development is a shared responsibility of the entire society. It points out that currently, some merchants near primary and secondary schools in the city are illegally providing rental services for smart devices such as mobile phones (SIM cards) and tablets to minors under the guise of "mobile phone rental," "hourly device rental," or "shared gaming consoles."
These practices violate relevant laws and regulations, including Article 58 of the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Minors, the Regulations on the Administration of Business Premises for Internet Access Services, and the Regulations of the Zhuhai Special Economic Zone on the Administration of Market Entity Registration. Such actions are suspected of engaging in internet access service business activities in a disguised form and conducting licensed business activities without a license. These behaviors seriously harm the physical and mental health of minors, disrupt the normal educational and teaching order of schools, and damage the public interests of minors in society. At the same time, violators face legal liabilities including warnings, confiscation of illegal gains, orders to suspend business for rectification, revocation of business licenses and relevant permits, and fines up to 500,000 yuan.
To effectively protect the legitimate rights and interests of minors in the city and create a clean, healthy, and safe space for their growth, the proposal makes the following appeals to all sectors of society. First, to all merchants: firmly refuse to illegally provide rental services for smart devices such as mobile phones (SIM cards) and tablets to minors; firmly refuse to provide internet access equipment for such smart devices to minors for online gaming or for receiving, forwarding, or spreading harmful information; firmly refuse to provide information products and services, whether fixed or mobile, that contain content harmful to physical and mental health, such as pornography, gambling, or violence, through online games, audio and video content, or applications; and in business operations, proactively refuse rental requests from minors.
Second, to all parents: pay close attention to minors' consumption trends and be wary of children requesting money under pretenses such as "buying study materials" to rent and play with mobile phones; guide children to correctly understand and use smart devices such as mobile phones (SIM cards) and tablets, cultivate healthy internet habits, and consciously resist harmful information; if students are found to frequently rent devices or be addicted to mobile games, parents may report this to schools or relevant departments to jointly safeguard the healthy growth of minors.
Third, to all citizens: if any merchant is found to be illegally providing rental services for smart devices such as mobile phones (SIM cards) and tablets to minors, please report and file complaints through hotlines such as 110 or 12345. The proposal concludes by stressing that a strong youth leads to a strong nation, and protecting minors is a merit for the present and a benefit for future generations. It calls on everyone to join hands in saying no to the illegal rental of mobile phones (SIM cards) and tablets to minors, and to create a clean, healthy, and safe growth environment for children.
The proposal is jointly signed by the Zhuhai Municipal Political and Legal Affairs Commission, the Zhuhai Municipal Cyberspace Administration, the Zhuhai Municipal Intermediate People's Court, the Zhuhai Municipal People's Procuratorate, the Zhuhai Municipal Education Bureau, the Zhuhai Municipal Public Security Bureau, the Zhuhai Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism and Sports, and the Zhuhai Municipal Administration for Market Regulation, dated September 4, 2026.