Guided Review | Standardizing Facial Recognition Technology Applications to Strengthen Personal Information Protection

Opinion piece by Zhang Ru

Recently, the National Internet Information Office and the Ministry of Public Security jointly released the Rules for Safe Management of Facial Recognition Technology Applications (hereinafter referred to as the Rules). This move is like a timely rainstorm that has provided solid institutional safeguards for regulating facial recognition technology applications and protecting personal information rights, drawing widespread attention from various sectors.

Facial recognition technology is an important application of artificial intelligence that has been widely applied in various fields over the past few years. Face-to-face payments have made payments more convenient, security monitoring has become more efficient, intelligent door control systems have improved entrance management efficiency, and public health temperature checks can be completed quickly with its help. Facial recognition technology has brought numerous conveniences to people's lives.

However, as applications continue to deepen, the information security issues involved in facial recognition are increasingly prominent. Some unscrupulous individuals have exploited technical vulnerabilities to illegally obtain facial information and then engage in fraudulent activities such as fraud, theft, and other illegal criminal activities. Some companies have also excessively collected and used facial information without fully informing users, seriously infringing on their personal privacy. Therefore, it is imperative to standardize facial recognition technology applications and protect personal information security.

This time's release of the Rules has clear guiding effects. The Rules explicitly stipulate that when applying facial recognition technology to process facial information, it must have specific purposes and be necessary for users' rights and interests, adopt measures with minimal impact on individuals' rights and interests, and implement strict protection measures. This regulation has effectively curtailed the abuse of facial recognition technology from its source, ensuring that the technology is only used when truly needed, and the operating method minimizes the impact on individuals' rights and interests.

For example, in non-essential scenarios such as ordinary commercial promotional activities or general membership registration, users should not be forced to provide facial information.

The Rules also specify detailed regulations for the safe application of facial recognition technology, explicitly stipulating that facial recognition technology applications must adopt measures such as data encryption, security audits, access control, authorization management, intrusion detection and defense to protect facial information security. These measures can effectively prevent facial information from being maliciously attacked and breached, ensuring that facial information is not leaked or tampered with, and providing comprehensive technical safeguards for facial information security.

These measures must be implemented in earnest, requiring joint efforts from all parties. The National Internet Information Office and the Ministry of Public Security should strengthen supervision and management over facial recognition technology applications, establishing a sound supervisory mechanism to effectively deter some companies and institutions that violate regulations using facial recognition technology. This will create strong deterrents and make unscrupulous businesses pay a heavy price.

From a social perspective, standardizing facial recognition technology applications is of great practical significance. On the one hand, it helps to protect citizens' personal privacy and information security, allowing people to enjoy technological conveniences without worrying about their personal information being leaked or abused. On the other hand, it benefits maintaining social justice, preventing facial recognition technology from being used for illegal purposes, and ensuring social stability.

Government departments should increase their supervisory efforts to ensure that all provisions of the Rules are effectively implemented; companies should strengthen their legal awareness and social responsibility, voluntarily complying with relevant regulations and strengthening internal management; and the public should enhance self-protection awareness, actively maintaining their own legitimate rights and interests.

The release of the Rules is an important step forward for China in the field of personal information protection. I look forward to seeing all parties work together to ensure that facial recognition technology can develop on a legal, regulatory, and secure track, bringing more convenience and blessings to people's lives.