China: Use Of Facial Recognition Should Not Be Forced On Individuals

Illustration of the use of facial recognition technology

JAKARTA China's cyber regulator on Friday, March 21 issued a new regulation regulating the use of facial recognition technology. The government of the bamboo curtain country insists that individuals should not be forced to verify their identities using the technology.

China is a leader in facial recognition technology, which is used by various levels of public security forces to track criminals, as well as monitor dissidents, protesters, and minority groups. However, this new rule does not mention the use of this technology by security forces.

China's Maya World Administration (CAC) stated that this regulation was published in response to growing public concerns about the risk of data privacy due to the wider use of facial recognition technology.

"Individuals who do not agree to verify their identities through facial information must be given another reasonable and easy option," CAC said on its official website.

This rule aims to limit increasingly common practices such as the use of facial recognition for check-in at hotels or entering residential complexes.

This regulation has been approved by China's Ministry of Public Security and will take effect in June. The regulation also confirms that companies collecting data through facial recognition cameras must obtain approval from individuals before processing their data.

While it does not explain how this rule will be implemented in public spaces, the regulation states that warning signs should be installed in locations that use facial recognition technology, a practice that has been widely applied in Chinese cities.

A number of domestic technology companies, such as Sensetime and Megvii, invest tens of millions of dollars annually to research and develop facial recognition software based on increasingly sophisticated artificial intelligence.

The Chinese people have long voiced their concerns about the use of this technology. A 2021 survey conducted by a think tank affiliated with state media The Beijing News showed that 75% of respondents were concerned about facial recognition, while 87% rejected its use in public places.

In July 2021, China's Supreme Court banned the use of facial recognition technology for identity verification in public places such as shopping centers and hotels, and allowed residents to request alternative verification methods when entering their residential environments.

In November of the same year, the Personal Information Protection Act came into force, requiring user approval for face data collection and imposing large fines for companies that do not comply.