Chinese School Faces Backlash Over Use of Facial Recognition Scanners

Since 2019, Chinese schools have been rolling out facial recognition systems as part of a government “smart campus” campaign. Now, some parents are pushing back, arguing the technology is endangering their children’s privacy. On Thursday, a parent surnamed Tan posted a complaint on a government website in Badong County, a remote part of the central Hubei province. The post accused a local middle school of forcing students to use facial recognition scanners to make purchases on campus.

Jingxin Youyi Middle School has been making students pay via the system, which is operated by Chinese financial technology giant Alipay, since December, according to the post. Tan also posted a complaint on the government website when the scanners were first installed, arguing the system could present a privacy risk if the students’ facial data leaked.

Several Chinese media outlets have published stories about Tan’s complaint in recent days, with critics arguing the potential privacy issues created by such facial recognition systems outweigh the benefits.

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