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China bans compulsory facial recognition and its use in private spaces like hotel rooms (www.theregister.com)
submitted 2 weeks ago by schizoidman@lemm.ee to c/technology@lemmy.world
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[-] IllNess@infosec.pub 125 points 2 weeks ago

The rules also ban the use of facial recognition equipment in public places such as hotel rooms, public bathrooms, public dressing rooms, and public toilets.

This makes sense.

But this also means private businesses are still allowed to use facial recognition everywhere else you aren't getting naked, lie a hotel lobby.

[-] tree_frog@lemm.ee 102 points 2 weeks ago

Who says I'm not getting naked in the hotel lobby?

[-] IllNess@infosec.pub 39 points 2 weeks ago

Please forgive me for assuming your comfort level. I am sorry.

[-] HowAbt2morrow@futurology.today 15 points 2 weeks ago

Harambe fan?

[-] AFLYINTOASTER@lemmy.world 22 points 2 weeks ago

DICKS OUT DICKS OUT DICKS OUT DICKS OUT DICKS OUT DICKS OUT DICKS OUT DICKS OUT DICKS OUT DICKS OUT DICKS OUT DICKS OUT DICKS OUT DICKS OUT DICKS OUT DICKS OUT DICKS OUT DICKS OUT DICKS OUT DICKS OUT DICKS OUT DICKS OUT DICKS OUT DICKS OUT DICKS OUT DICKS OUT DICKS OUT DICKS OUT DICKS OUT DICKS OUT DICKS OUT DICKS OUT

[-] Funky_Beak@lemmy.sdf.org 10 points 2 weeks ago

I was jet lagged and walked naked out of my hotel room thinking i was still at home. The walk of shame to the lobby was... an experience.

[-] HubertManne@piefed.social 6 points 2 weeks ago

I mean. I have had dreams that went something like that.

[-] Funky_Beak@lemmy.sdf.org 5 points 2 weeks ago

It was just like a dream. I ended up on the wrong floor, which was mirrored exactly like my floor. I think I located my room so I knock on the door (to wake my partner) and this poor woman (who was not said partner) answers the door. That was about then I decided I should probably talk to a staff member. hind sight lucky I wasn't arrested.

[-] HubertManne@piefed.social 3 points 2 weeks ago

oh man this just get worse and worse. you left out a juicy bit. how did you get to staff? did you find something to hide your shame?

[-] Funky_Beak@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

OK I probably should start from the beginning. I had just gotten off the plane flying from Aus to Barcelona. Jet-lagged as he'll I went to the basement bar and had some amazing mojitos. Liquor laws are a bit different in Australia so usually a cocktail is only 1 standard drink. Barcelona they have no such restriction so each of these is like 4 or 5 standard and I have 6. By the time I get to the room I'm feeling pretty toasty and decide to have a shower. I must have lost my memory of the past 20 hours down the drain because I then went auto pilot thinking I was in my own house and needing a glass of water begun the motions of walking out of my hotel room to go to the kitchen. Some fortunate reason I had a hand towel but it was only like halfway down a hall I realised I wasn't at my house. So covering myself I begin trying to retrace my steps. This resulted in somehow ending up on the floor below knocking on some poor unfortunate persons door. By that point I decided to head to the counter which is also a restraunt. Luckily it was midnight so it was closed. The person at the counter was chill and helped me back to my room. Ride in the old counterweights lift that at best holds 3 people so it was intimate. Woke up the next day filled with shame and a blossoming hangover to remind me why I don't drink.

[-] HubertManne@piefed.social 1 points 1 week ago

This sates my appetite but I still have internal questions because I have not been to spain. Like im picturing something like faulty towers but the desk moved to the opposite wall between the kitchen and dining room.

[-] Funky_Beak@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 1 week ago

It was more a kind of backpacker feel but a hotel. You have the front desk as the front of the restraunt. They manage both patrons and guests. I don't know how I would have coped with a Fawlty coming at me in that state!

[-] HubertManne@piefed.social 10 points 2 weeks ago

I feel like it should not allow cameras in general.

[-] recall519@lemm.ee 1 points 2 weeks ago

Which is fine. At the end of the day, it's another technology with uses and abuses.

[-] _haha_oh_wow_@sh.itjust.works 77 points 2 weeks ago

Wow, didn't expect that from China but it sounds like a step in the right direction!

[-] Zetta@mander.xyz 50 points 2 weeks ago

Me too, although the Chinese government itself will still use this technology extensively

[-] Arcane2077@sh.itjust.works 4 points 2 weeks ago

I'd only expect this from China

[-] notabot@lemm.ee 40 points 2 weeks ago

The rules also ban the use of facial recognition equipment in public places such as hotel rooms, public bathrooms, public dressing rooms, and public toilets.

Why was there facial recognition, or any other sort of camera, in those places in the first place? Has something been mangled in the translation, is it a fuss about nothing, or were organisations genuinely going "hmm, we need to check your face before you can use the restrooms"?

[-] klu9@lemmy.ca 13 points 2 weeks ago

Chinese fintech giant Alipay has for some years now had the "Smile to Pay" system: Alipay users can pay for something by just smiling into the camera in an Alipay "Smile to Pay" POS terminal. IIRC KFC was the first place to have it.

In China, many operators of public toilets seek to prevent theft of toilet paper (I shit you not ๐Ÿ˜‰) by having some kind of rationed dispenser (a certain user can only receive a certain amount of paper in a certain amount of time) or a vending machine.

Public toilet + toilet paper vending machine + "Smile to Pay" = facial recognition in toilets.

In fact, I think a few wanted fugitives have been caught (out?) by the cameras on toilet paper vending machines.

[-] pycorax@lemmy.world 4 points 2 weeks ago

Chinese fintech giant Alipay has for some years now had the "Smile to Pay" system: Alipay users can pay for something by just smiling into the camera in an Alipay "Smile to Pay" POS terminal. IIRC KFC was the first place to have it.

I thought you were kidding but who the hell thought this ridiculous concept was a good idea? Putting aside the security implications, did no one see how absurd it is?

[-] Arcane2077@sh.itjust.works 6 points 2 weeks ago

Some places in China are so technologically advanced, that every single thing you do is approved, verified and protected by facial recognition. Carrying a wallet/cash, locking doors, encountering traffic, and even petty crime in general are a thing of the past. In exchange, you're monitored at all times by multiple cameras everywhere you go

[-] colonelp4nic@lemmy.world 4 points 2 weeks ago

Do you have more information on this, or a phrase to Google? The idea of zero traffic, zero petty crime sounds incredibly impressive

[-] klu9@lemmy.ca 33 points 2 weeks ago

Given that the US government has recognized how unprotected technology (like unencrypted messaging) leaves its individual employees vulnerable to Chinese snoopers, I wonder if China is starting to realize just how vulnerable its pervasive unencrypted tech could leave it to US snooping.

[-] singletona@lemmy.world 18 points 2 weeks ago

'we don't like it when OTHER people do it. This is Our Thing.'

[-] Tylerdurdon@lemmy.world 16 points 2 weeks ago

Oh, I see. Another "rules for thee" type thing.

[-] SplashJackson@lemmy.ca 8 points 2 weeks ago

Nice!

[-] SnortsGarlicPowder@lemmy.zip 7 points 2 weeks ago

Hold on. I can put a facial recognition camera in a public bathroom if it's for AI in China. That can't be right

[-] Buffalox@lemmy.world 8 points 2 weeks ago

IDK what the rules are, but here (Denmark / EU) they are in self checkouts in supermarkets.
So I don't see why hotels and bathrooms shouldn't be able to use it too?

At least China is putting some protection in, and acknowledge there is a line where privacy should be respected.

[-] SnortsGarlicPowder@lemmy.zip 3 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

I mean any camera in an area where you are either pooping or getting naked is a big no no. I'd be surprised if it wasn't illegal in most countries.

I think I need to get a browser translator plugin that does chinese so I can actually read from the source rather than second hand in an article only.

[-] AI_toothbrush@lemmy.zip 5 points 2 weeks ago

They want a monopoly on surveillance lol

[-] anomnom@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 weeks ago

Not sure why the down votes, other than that I suppose they could have just mandated back doors to all cameras for their own use, and to shut them down whenever desired (like when a party man is in the loo).

this post was submitted on 24 Mar 2025
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