Staying in hotels in Shanghai no longer requires "face brushing".
Recently, the Red Star Capital Bureau interviewed and learned that in addition to Shanghai, there are hotels in Chengdu, Hangzhou and Shenzhen that do not have to be forced to "brush their faces" when checking in. And there is no mandatory "face brushing" when staying in a hotel, which is a notice issued by the Ministry of Public Security last year.
The Red Star Capital Bureau's retrospective public reports found that checking in to hotels through "face brushing" first appeared in 2016, when it was a convenience measure for in-house travelers who did not carry identity documents, but in later practice, "face brushing" gradually evolved from an alternative convenience item to a mandatory option.
On April 24, He Yanling, a distinguished professor of liberal arts at Peking University, told the Red Star Capital Bureau that on the whole, the extensive use of facial recognition technology can do more harm than good, although it can improve the efficiency of administrative management, but it may also bring three major problems.
Don't "brush your face" when staying in hotels in many places
Consumers: Check-in is more convenient
Recently, the Red Star Capital Bureau consulted eight hotels in Shanghai at different prices as tourists and learned that they will no longer be required to "brush their faces" when checking in for tourists.
A staff member of a hotel told the Red Star Capital Bureau that if travelers are unwilling to brush their faces, they can enter their identity information and check-in information, which will also be transmitted to the relevant system of the Public Security Bureau in real time, with only a slight time difference.
Of the eight hotels mentioned above, some of them started implementing the policy last year, while others only received the relevant notice in April this year.
On April 12, the Shanghai Hotel Industry Public Security Management Information System (hereinafter referred to as the "Shanghai Hotel Industry Management System") issued an announcement stating that it is strictly forbidden to conduct "compulsory face brushing" verification for passengers who have presented their valid identity documents, and it is strictly forbidden to have the problem of not being able to check in without "brushing their faces".
Screenshot from Shanghai Hotel Industry Management System
On April 23, the Red Star Capital Bureau called the repair phone disclosed on the homepage of the Shanghai hotel industry management system, and the staff who answered the phone said that at present, the face recognition module of the system has been shut down and will not be used in the future.
The Red Star Capital Bureau learned from people familiar with the matter that the relevant notice on the need not to force face brushing when staying in a hotel was issued by the Ministry of Public Security last year.
In addition to Shanghai, the Red Star Capital Bureau learned through interviews that there are hotels in many places where you don't have to "brush your face" when checking in, such as Sheraton Tianfu Lido Hotel in Chengdu, Jiji Hotel (Xixi Harbour City Branch) in Hangzhou, and Vienna Hotel (Futian Jingtian Branch) in Shenzhen.
Ms. Song, who recently experienced a hotel check-in without having to "brush her face", told Red Star Capital that check-in is much faster and more convenient than before.
"The photo on everyone's ID card is more or less different from the person, plus the difference between wearing makeup and not wearing makeup, sometimes you have to repeatedly 'brush your face' three or four times to identify it, but now it's much cooler, and you don't need to 'brush your face' directly. Ms. Song said.
The implementation of "no face brushing" is still not consistent
Different regions and hotels have different requirements
However, in the process of randomly calling different brand hotels such as Huazhu Club, Vienna, Sheraton, etc., Red Star Capital Bureau found that: on the one hand, some hotels in the same area have canceled the mandatory "face brushing", and some hotels still need to "brush their faces";
Taking the Shangri-La Hotel brand as an example, a staff member at Futian Shangri-La Hotel, Shenzhen, told the Red Star Capital Bureau that they would no longer be required to "brush their faces" when checking in, while staff at a Shangri-La hotel in southwest China said that travelers still need to "brush their faces" when checking in.
In addition, the Red Star Capital Bureau noticed that even in Shanghai, which has clearly requested the cancellation of mandatory "face brushing", there is a different situation.
On April 23, a staff member of the Shanghai North Railway Station Police Station told the Red Star Capital Bureau that at present, travelers still need to "brush their faces" when checking into hotels, and they need to verify the person, ID card, and face information in one.
The staff of the 99 Preferred Hotel, less than 200 meters away from the police station, told the Red Star Capital Bureau that there is no longer a mandatory "face brushing" for tourists to check in.
"Face brushing" is initially or alternatively
Lawyer: There are no laws and regulations that require you to "brush your face"
The Red Star Capital Bureau's retrospective public reports found that tourists checked into hotels by "brushing their faces" as early as 2016.
According to China Youth Daily, in Zaozhuang City, Shandong Province, when passengers forget to bring their ID cards, they can check in by brushing their faces to check in to hotels and hotels that have installed the "people's e-residence" information system.
Since then, "face brushing" has been implemented in many places. For example, since June 1, 2018, Shenzhen has officially launched the "convenience measures for staying in hotels without documents", and you can also register your identity through facial recognition without carrying your identity documents.
It should be noted that judging from the situation combed by the Red Star Capital Bureau, the implementation of "face brushing" at that time was a convenient measure for the people without carrying an ID card, and the media published a comment article ""Brush your face to live in a hotel" is expensive to provide an alternative.
In later practice, "face brushing" gradually became mandatory from an alternative.
Zhao Liyun, a lawyer at Tahota Law Firm, told the Red Star Capital Bureau that at present, mainland laws and administrative regulations do not stipulate that facial recognition must be mandatory for check-in hotels and hostels, "The Measures for the Administration of Public Security in the Hotel Industry stipulate that hotels receiving tourists for accommodation shall check the identity documents of passengers, but checking identity documents is not equivalent to 'face brushing'." ”
Article 6 of the Measures for the Administration of Public Security in the Hotel Industry stipulates that hotels must register for the accommodation of tourists. At the time of registration, the passenger's identity document shall be checked and the specified items shall be truthfully registered.
Zhang Hu, a partner at Jiangsu Liansheng (Wuxi) Law Firm, also believes that the Measures for the Administration of Public Security in the Hotel Industry only require hotels to register and verify the identity of passengers when they check in, and does not require them to verify their identities through facial recognition. ”
Expert Perspectives:
The widespread use of "face brushing" may bring three major problems
In real life, in addition to hotels, there are also some life scenes that are also promoting the use of face recognition technology, and "face brushing" has even become the only way to enter and exit some places.
He Yanling, a distinguished professor at Peking University, told the Red Star Capital Bureau that overall, the widespread use of facial recognition technology can do more harm than good, and although it can improve the efficiency of administrative management, it may also bring three major problems: (1) the security of biometric information, (2) the alleged infringement of personal privacy, and (3) the squeeze on public financial expenditure.
He Yanling told the Red Star Capital Bureau that there is a lot of biometric information on people's faces, and if it is diverted for other purposes, it may bring security problems. This is not only a matter of individual security, but may also endanger the security of society and the country.
From a legal point of view, Zhang Hu, a partner of Jiangsu Liansheng (Wuxi) Law Firm, analyzed the Red Star Capital Bureau from the "Civil Code" and the "Personal Information Protection Law" that any disguised and forced collection of facial information is illegal and is suspected of infringing on citizens' privacy rights.
The Civil Code stipulates that the collection of personal information must comply with the three principles of necessity, legality and legitimacy, and at the same time obtain the explicit consent of the information subject.
Article 26 of the Personal Information Protection Law stipulates that the installation of image collection and personal identification equipment in public places shall be necessary to maintain public safety, comply with relevant national regulations, and set up conspicuous reminder signs. The personal images and identification information collected may only be used for the purpose of maintaining public safety, and must not be used for other purposes, except where the individual's separate consent has been obtained.
In addition, He Yanling believes that face recognition equipment and systems need to be regularly inspected and replaced, and the information collected is also facing security issues, which may also involve public financial expenditures, and it is worth thinking about whether it is necessary.
Red Star News reporter Yang Peiwen
Edited by Yu Dongmei
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