Focus tightens on facial recognition

Questions asked as use of the technology increases

A lawsuit brought by an associate professor at a university in Zhejiang province over use of facial recognition technology has resulted in him becoming headline news nationwide.

The legal case brought by Guo Bing has also been used to promote the drafting of laws and regulations related to protecting personal information.

For the past 18 months, Guo was featured in media reports, stemming initially from a text message he received from a wildlife park in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang.

The associate law professor at Zhejiang Sci-tech University bought an annual pass to Hangzhou Safari Park in 2019 after providing personal information, including his identity card number and fingerprints.

However, soon afterward, the park sent a text message asking him to register his facial recognition information, as it had just set up a face-scanning system for entry to the venue.

Guo could not understand why a safari park needed such data from visitors, but he complied with the requirement. "Anyone who refused to do so would be denied entry. I was forced to do this," he said.

In late 2019, he took the park to a local court, accusing it of breaching the membership contract, improperly collecting facial information and damaging consumers' rights.

Although judges in Hangzhou, after hearing the case twice, ruled that the park should delete Guo's facial data, he expressed dissatisfaction with the result, and appealed for a new hearing.

He said he needs a court to clarify whether facial recognition is covered by a clause in the contract between the park and a visitor, instead of just ordering the venue to remove his facial information for breaching the contract.

Guo said he is optimistic about winning the latest round in his fight to protect personal information, as the nation has attached great importance to the issue and taken measures, including drafting a law and stepping up inspections, to resolve irregularities.