China will require telecom operators to collect face scans when registering new phone users, as Beijing continues to tighten cyberspace controls.
China will require telecom operators to collect face scans when registering new phone users at offline outlets starting Sunday, according to the country's information technology authority, as Beijing continues to tighten cyberspace controls.
The notice said telecom operators should use"artificial intelligence and other technical means" to verify people's identities when they take a new phone number.A China Unicom customer service representative told AFP that the 1 December"portrait matching" requirement means customers registering for a new phone number may have to record themselves turning their head and blinking.
Though the Chinese government has pushed for real-name registration for phone users since at least 2013 - meaning ID cards are linked to new phone numbers - the move to leverage AI comes as facial recognition technology gains traction across China where the tech is used for everything from supermarket checkouts to surveillance.
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