Facial recognition concerns addressed

A regulation aiming to standardize the use of facial recognition technology and protect personal data was unveiled on Friday, as the increasingly wider application of the security-related tech sparks growing concerns over potential privacy violations in China.

The regulation, jointly issued by the Cyberspace Administration of China and the Ministry of Public Security, will come into effect on June 1. It clarifies that the use of the technology should abide by the law, and must not harm national security, public welfare and the legal interests of individuals.

Facial recognition technology needs to be used when it is necessary, and should be used in a way that imposes the least intrusion on personal rights and interests, it states, adding that data collected through the technology must be strictly protected.