Chinese Government Makes Face Scans Compulsory for Smartphone Users

Starting December 1, Chinese government has passed a law that make face scans compulsory for users to sign up or renew their mobile subscription.

The controversial face scan technology has always been a source of concern among its citizens. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that the Chinese live in a Black Mirror-ish society.

The bill was sanctioned early in September where the government sent a notice to telecom operators stating that it would “protect the legitimate rights and interest of citizens in cyberspace.” It further stated that, “artificial intelligence and other technical methods” ought to be used to match the faces of customers with the sim cards and identity documents that they use.

As reported by Quartz, the policy strengthens Government’s grip on its citizens. China wants to make sure that no one is off the grid and this way it wants to weed out anonymity.

There are already rules in place that require consumers  to have their photos taken and showing their national identification card while registering for a new phone number.

However, the new rule now requires people to scan their faces every time they sign up for a mobile plan. A BBC report states that this facial recognition technology has gone too far and such valuable biometric information is either compromised or on the verge of being compromised.