Privacy concerns over security checks in China’s Guangzhou metro stations
- Mixed public reaction greets news of security upgrade with checkpoints planned for most stations over the next two years
- Announcement follows facial recognition plans at Beijing stations
The southern Chinese city of Guangzhou is upgrading security on its subway system, with 130 checkpoints to be built outside stations over the next two years.
The checkpoints will cover at least seven existing metro lines as well as those under construction in 2020, according to local newspaper Guangzhou Daily. The locations of 52 of the checkpoints, at 29 stations, have been announced while the remainder are still in the planning stage – especially on lines running through older downtown districts where space is limited.
Once the checkpoints were in place, pedestrians using the system’s underground walkways – as well as subway passengers – would be required to go through the checks, a Guangzhou Metro spokesman said.
“No matter whether they are crossing or riding on the subway, as long as they enter the subway vicinity they will need to go through the checks,” the spokesman said. “We cannot tell specifically who is passing by and who is entering the station. If we give the ‘green light’ to passengers, there might be a security breach.”
The measures have received a mixed reaction from the public with some complaints about the impact on passengers of complicated checks, while others said it was important to maintain safety.
“Does it mean when I go on the streets I have to walk around these areas? It’s so inconvenient,” a Guangzhou resident said.
