As we all know, Internet cafes cannot accept minors to surf the Internet. In fact, E-sports hotels provide Internet services with the same configuration as Internet cafes, which is also prohibited from accepting minors. Article 58 of the law on the protection of Minors stipulates that the business premises of Internet services shall not allow minors to enter. Minors over the age of 16 can check in at the hotel with their ID card.
On May 12, the people's Procuratorate of Suqian City, Jiangsu Province announced the judgment of a civil public interest lawsuit against the defendant, a hotel management company, for providing Internet services to minors. This is also the country's first civil public interest litigation case in this field
In April 2021, the procurator of Sucheng District procuratorate learned from the teacher that some students often went to the "E-sports Hotel" to surf the Internet during the rule of law class. After obtaining clues, the procuratorial organ shall immediately start the investigation procedure.
The survey found that "E-sports Hotel" provides Internet services with the same configuration as Internet cafes, which has been favored by minors in recent years An E-sports hotel in Sucheng district is one of them. In just three months, 387 minors have online records
A mother found the boss to "ask for an explanation" because her children often go to the e-sports Hotel, but the boss said that the hotel is not an Internet cafe, and minors can be admitted with the consent of the guardian. The boss also took out the minor check-in form and confirmed that he had obtained the consent of his father. But in fact, the phone was filled in by the child himself, and the hotel didn't really call to verify.
The procuratorial organ believes that the hotel takes providing internet access services as the main purpose and consumption mode, and belongs to the business place of Internet access services** As a business place, it is open to the public. Due to the provision of Internet access services to unspecified minors, the legitimate rights and interests of many minors and families are at risk of infringement.
Finally, the court ruled that the defendant was prohibited from providing internet access services to minors, and made a written apology to the public in the national public media within 10 days from the date of entry into force of the judgment.