China has announced new rules for regulating persons recognition, with a focus on personal protection data and a ban on analyzing race or ethnicity, according to an official statement from the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC). The rules aim to maintain social order and ensure citizen safety.
The key aspect of the new rules is obtaining consent before processing persons recognition data, especially for adolescents under the age of 14. This emphasizes the importance of protecting the privacy of young individuals.
In addition, the rules specify that persons recognition technology should not be used in certain public places, such as hotels, banks, airports, galleries, and others, for personal identity checks. Collecting images in private places, such as hotel rooms and public toilets, is strictly prohibited.
One particular provision that has attracted attention is Article 11, which prohibits the use of persons recognition technology to analyze sensitive personal information like race, ethnicity, and religion. This comes in response to concerns that the technology could be used to monitor the Uyghur minority group.
The CAC has made it clear that violators of these rules will be held accountable, reinforcing the government’s commitment to ensuring the responsible and ethical use of persons recognition technology in China.