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Updated December 1st, 2019 at 20:02 IST

China introduces mandatory face scans for phone users

China introduces mandatory face scans for phone users said the IT Authority which is to be regulated from December 1. Customers will also have to give real name

Reported by: Tanima Ray
China
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The Chinese technology authority said on December 1 that the country will require telecom operators to collect face scans when registering new phone users at offline outlets which will be regulated from the same day, as Beijing continues to tighten cyberspace controls. China's industry and information technology ministry issued a notice which laid out rules for enforcing real-name registration for safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of citizens online. The notice also read that telecom operator should use artificial intelligence and other technical means to verify people identities while issuing a new phone number. It also said that the ministry will continue to increase supervision and inspection and strictly promote the management of real-name registration for phone users. 

Read: China Demands US To Roll Back Tariffs In Phase One Trade Deal: Report

Mixed reactions over technology

The facial recognition technique called "portrait matching" means customers registering for a new phone number may have to record themselves turning their head and blinking, as per a China Unicom customer service representative. Facial recognition has gained more attraction over real-name registration which has been implemented since 2013 as China widely depends on technology for every kind of surveillance. There have been mixed reactions from online social media users who support and worry over the December 1 facial verification notice, with some voicing concerns their biometric data could be leaked or sold. A user on Weibo wrote that the rule was a bit too much while another wrote "control and more control".

Read: China Accuses UN Rights Chief Of 'inappropriate' Interference Over Hong Kong

The majority has accepted the rule despite threats to privacy. Yet last month there was a lawsuit filed against facial recognition. A Chinese professor filed a claim against a safari park in Hangzhou, eastern Zhejiang province for requiring face scans for entry, in early November. Chinese social media site Weibo was forced to roll out real-name registration in 2012. As part of the Chinese government's push to promote the healthy, orderly development of the internet, protect state security and public interest, constrictions have raised over the years.

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Published December 1st, 2019 at 19:50 IST

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