At the time of check-in at the hotel
Many travelers are used to it
"Brush your face" check-in
It can even be considered as
A convenient experience in a digital society
But there are also concerns
Is it really safe to collect too much facial information?
Whether the hotel's "mandatory face brushing" is reasonable
Is it really necessary?
According to media reports, notices and reminders have been issued in the Shanghai Hotel Industry Public Security Management Information System recently, which strictly prohibits passengers who have presented their valid identity documents for "compulsory face brushing" verification, and it is strictly forbidden to have the problem of not being able to check in without "brushing their faces".
It is understood that Article 23 of the "Regulations for the Implementation of the Law on the Protection of Consumer Rights and Interests", which was promulgated on March 15 this year and will be officially implemented on July 1, stipulates that when providing goods or services, operators shall not excessively collect consumers' personal information, and shall not use methods such as one-time general authorization or tacit authorization to compel or covertly compel consumers to consent to the collection and use of personal information that is not directly related to business activities.
The head of the Cyber Rule of Law Bureau of the Cyberspace Administration of China has previously said, "For example, like facial recognition, that is excessive collection and not necessary personal information."
Official website system:
It is strictly forbidden to "force face brushing"
If you forget to bring your ID to brush your face, you must ask for permission
It can be seen on the system bulletin board of the Shanghai Hotel Industry Public Security Management Information System that on April 7, the Exit and Entry Administration Bureau of the Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau issued the "Notice on Issuing Valid Identity Documents for Tourists' Accommodation and Accommodation Registration Inquiry Procedures". It is mentioned that the Public Security Corps of the Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau and the Exit and Entry Administration Bureau have produced the "Instructions for Valid Identity Documents for Passenger Accommodation" and the "Flow Chart for Passenger Accommodation Registration and Inquiry".
Screenshot of the announcement webpage of the Shanghai Hotel Industry Public Security Management Information System
Flowchart of passenger accommodation registration inquiry, in which the collection of facial information is divided into consent and disagreement.
According to the flow chart, for mainland residents who do not have valid identity documents, there are two ways to verify their identity, and consent is required for "face brushing". If the passenger agrees to the collection of facial information, he or she will go to the "Registration without ID card" module for processing, and if the passenger does not agree to the collection of facial information, the passenger should go to the police station to issue a relevant certificate.
Valid ID for Guests' Accommodation
According to the "Notice on Valid Identity Documents for Passenger Accommodation", the above-mentioned "valid identity documents" for mainland tourists in Chinese mainland include ID cards (including temporary ID cards), police officer cards, passports, driver's licenses, social security cards, residence permits, travel permits of the People's Republic of China (places of birth are not Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan), entry and exit permits of the People's Republic of China, as well as military ID cards and soldier ID cards.
The notice also requires that the "Instructions for Valid Identity Documents for Passenger Accommodation" should be placed at the front desk of the hotel facing the passengers, and the "Flow Chart for Passenger Accommodation Registration and Inquiry" should be placed towards the front desk employees.
A warm reminder issued in the Shanghai Hotel Industry Public Security Management Information System, in which it is strictly forbidden to "force face brushing" Screenshot of the web page
In addition, on April 12, a warm reminder was issued in the system again, which clearly stated that it is strictly forbidden to conduct "compulsory face brushing" verification for passengers who have presented their valid identity documents;
Some hotels in Shanghai: Face brushing is no longer mandatory
The front desk of more than 10 hotels in various districts of Shanghai said that there is no "mandatory face brushing" requirement at present. Some hotels said that they no longer had "mandatory face brushing" since last year, while more hotels said that their information systems had recently been upgraded, and that according to the requirements of the local police station, there was no longer a "mandatory face brushing" requirement. In terms of the timing of the implementation of the new requirements, some said that it started in March, and some hotels said that it started this month or two or three weeks.
In the case of travelers bringing their national IDs, each hotel says that they can check in directly. If you don't have an ID card, you can also check in with your electronic ID card, ID photo, driver's license, social security card, etc. "As long as it can be used to verify personally identifiable information. A hotel receptionist said.
In addition to Shanghai, this policy has begun to be adjusted in many places in China. Some netizens in Yichang, Hubei Province reported that they no longer need to brush their faces when staying in the hotel.
Is it necessary to "brush your face" when staying in a hotel?
At present, the application of face recognition technology has been "blooming everywhere" in scenarios such as identity authentication, mobile payment, and access control. While this technology provides convenience, it has also caused a lot of controversy.
In order to regulate the application of facial recognition technology, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) has tried to draw a red line. On August 8, 2023, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) issued the Provisions on the Security Management of the Application of Facial Recognition Technology (Trial) (Draft for Comments), which clarifies that facial recognition technology can only be used to process facial information if it has a "specific purpose" and sufficient necessity and strict protective measures are taken, and also proposes that "non-biometric recognition technology solutions shall be preferred to achieve the same purpose or meet the same business requirements".
Article 9 proposes to require that in hotels, banks, stations, airports, stadiums, exhibition halls, museums, art galleries, libraries, and other business venues, except where laws and administrative regulations provide that facial recognition technology shall be used to verify an individual's identity, individuals must not be forced, misled, fraudulent, or coerced to accept facial recognition technology to verify their personal identity on the grounds of handling business or improving the quality of services.
It is worth mentioning that the first supporting administrative regulation of the Consumer Protection Law, the Regulations for the Implementation of the Consumer Rights Protection Law, will come into force on July 1, 2024. Article 23 of the Regulations also points out that when providing goods or services, business operators shall not excessively collect consumers' personal information, and shall not use methods such as one-time general authorization or tacit authorization to compel or indirectly compel consumers to consent to the collection and use of personal information that is not directly related to business activities.
You have recently stayed at a hotel
Do you still need to "brush your face"?
What do you think about this approach?
Source: Guangzhou Daily, The Paper, Newsroom, China Business Daily