Do not register under-16s as livestream presenters; handle tipping according to the applicable age rules
Chinese law prohibits registering a livestream-presenter account for someone under 16. For a 16- or 17-year-old, verify identity and obtain parental or other guardian consent. The cited April 2026 tipping notice uses three groups: no tipping service below age 8; guardian consent for ages 8–16; and guardian consent or verified income documentation for older minors. Unauthorized spending by a minor can be recoverable when the legal conditions for invalidity or lack of consent are met.
What it takes
Add age assessment and the required guardian-consent checks at registration and payment. The source identifies no separate filing fee.
What you may gain
The Law on the Protection of Minors prohibits livestream-presenter registration below 16 and requires identity authentication and parental or guardian consent for minors aged 16 or above. The online protection regulations also require ongoing mechanisms to reverify presenters' real identity and reasonable age-based limits on individual transactions and daily total spending. The 2026 tipping notice prohibits offering tipping to children under 8, requires guardian consent for minors aged 8–16, and requires guardian consent or verification of income documentation for older minors. The cited judicial guidance supports guardians' claims for return of qualifying online payments made without consent by persons with limited civil capacity. These are Chinese rules.
Context & considerations
In refund disputes, the source recommends an approach protecting the minor's interests. The policy wording has changed: a four-department opinion in 2022 and a broadcasting regulator's 2020 notice both prohibited minors' tipping across the board. The April 2026 notice introduced age bands at 8 and 16 without expressly repealing the earlier documents, and the source found no official explanation of how they fit together. A blanket statement that all minors' tipping is prohibited therefore does not capture this unresolved policy overlap. Nor should the source's brief refund summary be read as a guarantee that every payment is automatically refundable regardless of its amount and circumstances.
Research & references
Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (2020). Law on the Protection of Minors, Articles 74 and 76. https://www.cac.gov.cn/2020-10/22/c_1604928959588622.htm; State Council (2023). Regulations on the Protection of Minors in Cyberspace, Order No. 766, Articles 31 and 44. https://www.gov.cn/gongbao/2023/issue_10806/202311/content_6913813.html; Secretariat of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission (2026). Notice on strengthening standardized management of livestream tipping, item 7. https://www.cac.gov.cn/2026-04/13/c_1777815804150225.htm; Supreme People's Court (2020). Guiding opinions on properly handling civil cases involving the COVID-19 epidemic according to law, part II, Fafa [2020] No. 17, paragraph 9. https://www.court.gov.cn/fabu/xiangqing/230181.html