London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

China launches facial recognition for mobile phone users

New regulation increases concerns that there are not sufficient safeguards in place to protect people’s personal information. China does not have specific laws governing the use of facial recognition technologies

China on Sunday introduced a new rule that requires people to have their faces scanned when registering mobile phone services, as experts and even state media raised concerns there were not sufficient measures in place to safeguard people’s privacy.

Before the introduction of the new requirement, which was announced in September by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, people registering for mobile phone services had to provide only a copy of their identity card.

The ministry said the new measure would help to stem the resale of sim cards and protect people from unknowingly registering for phone services in the event of their identities being stolen.

Many online services and social media in China are tied to mobile phone numbers to ensure users are traceable.

Some people said online that telecom operators had begun insisting on face scans before the official launch.

Some said they hoped the new measures would help reduce telecom fraud and phone scams, while others said it was just another example of the government increasing its surveillance of its citizens.

Some experts said they were concerned that the technology was being implemented without the proper safeguards in place.
Lao Dongyan, a law professor at Tsinghua University, said China did not have an overarching law regulating facial recognition technologies.

“The protection [of personal data] in the criminal law is not enough,” she said at a symposium on facial recognition and privacy protection in Beijing last week.

“For most of the time, we don’t know our data is being collected and the storage and use of data doesn’t follow legal requirements.

“Obtaining people’s personal data needs their consent, according to China’s laws and regulations, but in reality, facial recognition technologies are widely used while the public rarely knows about them.”

Last month, a law professor in east China’s Zhejiang province who bought an annual pass for a wildlife park sued the park authority for breach of contract, after it replaced its fingerprint-based entry system with one that uses facial recognition.
A report by state broadcaster CCTV on Saturday said many apps in China collected people’s facial data without a user agreement.

In one case, more than 5,000 pieces of facial data were sold online for only 10 yuan (US$1.40) each, prompting Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily to issue a commentary saying people should have the right to say no when asked for face scans.
“The misuse of legally collected data may be a bigger threat, but we don’t have regulations on the misuse of data in the criminal law,” Lao said.

But even if there were legislation in place to protect people’s facial data, some legal experts said it still would not prevent the risk of personal information finding its way into the government’s hands.

“Once this technology is used on a large scale, we have nowhere to hide,” said Beijing-based lawyer Wang Xinrui. “The risk of facial recognition technologies is high and far-reaching.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×