Professor sues Chinese zoo over face scans

A CHINESE professor has filed the country’s first lawsuit against the use of facial-recognition technology after a zoo installed a new surveillance system for its ticket gate.

Guo Bing, a law professor at Zhejiang Sci-tech University, has begun legal action against the Hangzhou Safari Park, after it installed a facial recognition system in July to identify members for entry at its front gates, replacing a fingerprint identification system, according to state media.

Those refusing to register their faces in the new entrance system are now barred, even if they have paid the 1,360 yuan (£150) annual fee.

Facial recognition is commonplace in China, which aims to be the world leader in the technology.

Mr Guo has accused the park of violating Chinese consumer rights law by collecting personal data without obtaining consent, in a lawsuit accepted by a local court last Friday.

He initially demanded a full refund of his annual membership fee, but claims the park refused to return the full amount.

“The reason I filed this lawsuit is not for compensation of economic loss,” Mr Guo told local media. “I personally think the current application of facialrecognition technology still faces uncertainty and security risks, and needs to be regulated.”

How the court decides on the case could lead to more regulation and debate over the use of such surveillance technology by private businesses as well as the government.

Facial recognition technology is being deployed all over China, with everyone’s faces scanned and recorded. It’s mandatory to submit to face-scanning to pass airport immigration.