From toilets to ATMs: Five ways facial recognition is used in China
When your face becomes your ID
China is a big country, and tech usage differs across cities. But one technology is slowing making its way from the glitzy megacities to smaller towns: Your face.
OK, well, not quite -- it’s facial recognition. While the technology has seen growing scrutiny in the US, it’s being rapidly adopted in China. Here are five ways that facial recognition is changing the everyday lives of Chinese people.
GETTING ON THE TRAIN
One thing people in China can’t leave behind yet -- their national ID cards, because they’re still needed to travel on trains. But instead of going through checkpoints manned by officers, passengers in more stations can now self check-in with facial recognition machines.
PLAY GAMES
It might seem pretty extreme to have to scan your face to play a game. But Tencent is doing exactly that, using facial recognition to identify children playing its blockbuster mobile games and apply restrictions so they don’t play too much.
Why? The Chinese government often signals displeasure through state media before taking action, and recently state media has been pumping out reports that “express concern” about children addicted to games. This is Tencent’s answer: Scanning faces to ensure that kids are given curfews and other restrictions.