China Tightens Up Control on Smartphone Users
Summary: China tightens up controls of identity verification procedures for telephone and internet users, requiring new customers to go through facial recognition scanning. Oxford scholar considers that the authority wants to prevent internet frauds but also aims for close tracking and monitoring of the telecommunication users.
(01-Dec) With immediate effect, Mainland China will tighten up the real-name registration management of smart telephone users. Citizens are required to undergo facial recognition validation to confirm identity upon application for telephone network services.
China citizens are required to present identity cards and take photographs on the spot when they buy new smart phones or sign new internet contracts with ISP providers currently. With the new requirements coming into effect, they need to go through facial scan to match up with the identity documentation before they can successfully complete the telecommunication services connection procedures.
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology announced back in September that with effective on the 1st of December, ISP providers are required to adopt AI facial recognition technology to validate the identity of customers for the implementation of the Anti-terrorism law and Cyber Security law.
The authorities emphasize that the new requirement aims at ensuring better protection of the legal rights of telecommunications service users in the cyberspace through prevention of illegal speculative resale of phone cards and identity theft for application of telecom services without knowledge of the genuine identity of the owners.
The three largest telecommunications operators China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecommunications Corporations indicate that they will proactively execute the new requirements to build up cyberspace integrity.
Mainland authorities have been strengthening cyberspace enforcement in recent years to ensure every internet service user is registered in real name. Internet platform administrators and operators were required to verify the users’ identity before allowing them to post and express anything on the internet two years ago.
Oxford University scholar believes that one of the reasons why the mainland authority wants to eliminate anonymous applications for mobile phone access is to strengthen cyber control thus reduce cyber frauds, another reason is to make it easier for tracking and monitoring smart phone and internet users.
Some netizens criticise the increasingly stringent cyber censorship. They query what the government is afraid of. There are also people who point out that there could be victims of facial image leaks in the future. However, those who support the government consider that it is an advancement in technology.
Source: Now TV news 1 Dec 2019
https://bit.ly/2Rc2VYM
#CyberspaceCensorship, #StateCensorship, #PRCCyberSpaceSecurityLaw, #FacialRecognition, #ArtificialIntelligence
Summary: China tightens up controls of identity verification procedures for telephone and internet users, requiring new customers to go through facial recognition scanning. Oxford scholar considers that the authority wants to prevent internet frauds but also aims for close tracking and monitoring of the telecommunication users.
(01-Dec) With immediate effect, Mainland China will tighten up the real-name registration management of smart telephone users. Citizens are required to undergo facial recognition validation to confirm identity upon application for telephone network services.
China citizens are required to present identity cards and take photographs on the spot when they buy new smart phones or sign new internet contracts with ISP providers currently. With the new requirements coming into effect, they need to go through facial scan to match up with the identity documentation before they can successfully complete the telecommunication services connection procedures.
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology announced back in September that with effective on the 1st of December, ISP providers are required to adopt AI facial recognition technology to validate the identity of customers for the implementation of the Anti-terrorism law and Cyber Security law.
The authorities emphasize that the new requirement aims at ensuring better protection of the legal rights of telecommunications service users in the cyberspace through prevention of illegal speculative resale of phone cards and identity theft for application of telecom services without knowledge of the genuine identity of the owners.
The three largest telecommunications operators China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecommunications Corporations indicate that they will proactively execute the new requirements to build up cyberspace integrity.
Mainland authorities have been strengthening cyberspace enforcement in recent years to ensure every internet service user is registered in real name. Internet platform administrators and operators were required to verify the users’ identity before allowing them to post and express anything on the internet two years ago.
Oxford University scholar believes that one of the reasons why the mainland authority wants to eliminate anonymous applications for mobile phone access is to strengthen cyber control thus reduce cyber frauds, another reason is to make it easier for tracking and monitoring smart phone and internet users.
Some netizens criticise the increasingly stringent cyber censorship. They query what the government is afraid of. There are also people who point out that there could be victims of facial image leaks in the future. However, those who support the government consider that it is an advancement in technology.
Source: Now TV news 1 Dec 2019
https://bit.ly/2Rc2VYM
#CyberspaceCensorship, #StateCensorship, #PRCCyberSpaceSecurityLaw, #FacialRecognition, #ArtificialIntelligence