Lego partners with Tencent for co-developed games and a child-friendly social network

L-R: Jacob Kragh, GM of Lego China; Julia Goldin, Lego Group CMO; Tencent VP, Thirty Sun; and Tencent Games VP, Anna Gao,

Toymaker Lego has struck a partnership with Chinese internet behemoth Tencent to collaborate across a broad range of digital content and platforms. In making the announcement, Lego said it was seeking to increase the awareness of digital safety among children and parents in China, and to provide Chinese children with “fun, creative and most importantly safe digital Lego experiences.”

Designed to comply with the Lego Group Digital Child Safety Policy, developed with input from UNICEF and Tencent’s ‘Penguin Grow with You – Child Protection in Digital Age’ framework and ‘Growth Guardian Platform’, the partnership aims to create a safe online ecosystem covering platforms, contents and experiences tailored for Chinese children.

The scope of the partnership includes the development of a Lego video zone for children on the Tencent video platform; and development, publication and operation of Lego-branded licensed games. It also includes the publication and operation of the online operation system for Lego Boost, a building and coding set that lets children bring their Lego creations to life, as well as plans to jointly develop Lego Life, described as “a safe social network for children, in China.”

“Our most important purpose is to inspire children and help them develop through play,” said Lego Group CMO, Julia Goldin. “Through our 85-year history we have always had children’s safety as our highest priority when developing Lego products. This heritage and approach is also reflected in our work to ensure safe digital Lego experiences.”