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Law professor challenges facial recognition tech

A university professor is suing a wildlife park which has made facial recognition mandatory for entrance by visitors.

Professor Guo Bing, a law professor at the Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, says the Hangzhou Safari Park is in violation of consumer protection law.

The park responded by offering a choice between fingerprint identification and the facial recognition system. The facial recognition technology is used as part of electronic payment but also for boosting security.

Refund

The academic declined to use the technology and asked for a refund of his annual pass. He was then told he would not get a full refund. On 28 October he took the park to court, where the matter is still being heard.

Chinese law is unclear on the collection of biometric data with or without consent.

The regulatory landscape in China is fragmented despite a national voluntary standard on data privacy.