China introduces mandatory face scan for mobile service buyers

In China, a law passed on December 1, requiring every SIM card buyer to make a mandatory face scan.

Chinese legislation has so far required mobile users to submit personal documents to their mobile phone upon purchase. This fall, they went further and passed a law in September requiring the buyer of a new SIM card to take a facial image. The outlets had until December 1, when the law came into force, time to adjust to the new standard. The scans go to the central register, where they go through face recognition algorithms.

Authorities say they can better combat fraud, extortion and cyberbullying. Critics, of course, dispute that this is a new step on the path to a total digital dictatorship. China has increasingly to shy away from allegations of mass suppression of non-party line people in some parts of the country, such as Xinjiang province, through extensive digital technology. The response of the Chinese public is divided; some are in favor of it, and there are growing concerns among people, not least because of the fact that the legislation governing privacy rights in capturing biometric data is still emerging.

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