The Reason Chinese Government Facial Recognition Is Spurring A Growing Backlash

The perception in the west has been that Chinese citizens are more accepting - or more resigned - to the rapid spread of facial recognition than in other societies.

But it may be that as the technology becomes more pervasive, Chinese are beginning to recognize the negative ramifications of such surveillance systems. JL


Shan Li reports in the Wall Street Journal:

Chinese consumers, generally believed to be more accepting of technology that can be used for surveillance compared with people in the West, are growing increasingly vocal about data-privacy concerns. A Chinese law professor accused a wildlife park and zoo of violating his consumer rights by requiring members to register their faces as part of a new entrance system. A court in Hangzhou accepted Mr. Guo’s case. China’s light-speed embrace of cutting-edge technology has sparked worries about unforeseen ramifications for the country
A Chinese law professor has raised a rare legal challenge over how facial-recognition technology is deployed in a country where surveillance cameras are increasingly part of everyday life.
Guo Bing accused a wildlife park and zoo in the eastern technology hub of Hangzhou of violating his consumer rights by requiring members to register their faces as part of a new entrance system. On Friday, a court in Hangzhou accepted Mr. Guo’s case.
In October, Hangzhou Safari Park told members with annual passes, including Mr. Guo, that new facial-recognition technology had replaced the existing fingerprint-identification method, according to the lawsuit. Those who didn’t register wouldn’t be allowed to enter.

The park refused to issue full refunds to those who balked at the new requirements, the suit said. That prompted Mr. Guo, who teaches law at Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, to sue the park, alleging it violated China’s consumer-protection law by requiring the collection of sensitive data without seeking permission from pass-holders beforehand.
The park “forced the collection of the plaintiff’s personal biometric information by upgrading the annual card system without consent,” the lawsuit said. “Once leaked, illegal misuse will easily endanger the safety of consumers and their property.”
Mr. Guo is seeking a full refund of 1,360 yuan (about $193) for his membership fees and payment of legal expenses. He told The Wall Street Journal his goal in suing the zoo wasn’t to obtain a refund, but to raise awareness about the problems that can come from unregulated collection of personal data and to call for increased regulation and compliance. Hangzhou Safari Park didn’t respond to a request for comment.
The lawsuit’s outcome could impact how governments in China regulate how authorities and companies use facial-recognition technology, according to tech experts. China’s light-speed embrace of cutting-edge technology has sparked worries about unforeseen ramifications for the country, said Mark Natkin, managing director of Marbridge Consulting, a Beijing-based tech and media research firm.
“There hasn’t been sufficient time for individuals, companies, governments and other related parties to think over potentially negative repercussions of widespread adoption,” Mr. Natkin said.
Already, facial-recognition cameras are thickly sprinkled throughout China in a multiplying variety of locations, including at traffic intersections, hotels, office buildings and schools. The technology has been used to catch wanted fugitives at pop concerts and deployed as part of mass-surveillance efforts in the far-western Chinese region of Xinjiang.
The lawsuit comes as Chinese consumers, generally believed to be more accepting of technology that can be used for surveillance compared with people in the West, are growing increasingly vocal about data-privacy concerns.
In September, a newly launched app called Zao that lets users stitch their faces into scenes from iconic film and TV shows with deepfake technology set off a backlash against users worried about privacy and identity theft. The app apologized and tweaked its user policy.