China Subway Facial Recognition System Examined

Published Jun 24, 2019 11:45 AM

A China city of 6+ million people has installed facial recognition-enabled gates in subways, allowing commuters to enter stations by simply showing their face, thus bypassing ticket/card/phone use. How accurate and efficient is the system?

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In this note, IPVM examines the use of facial recognition for public transit in the PRC. We find that implementation problems persist chiefly due to the systems' use of identification instead of verification, and take a closer look at:

  • System Background & Scale
  • Who Supplies this
  • Purpose
  • How It Works
  • Identification, Not Verification
  • Effectiveness/Issues
  • Government Response
  • Human Rights Concerns

**********

*** ******* **** **** ***** ****** out ** **** *** **** ** far: ***** (***********.* *******) ***** ******** *** *****-**** subway ****** ***** ** **** ****,**** ****** ***** *****. **** ** what * ***** ****** **** *** booth ******** ***** ****, ** ***** in * ***** *************:

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*****

**** *** ********** **** **** **** demonstrated *********************,*** ***** **** ***-*** ****** **** were ***** ******** ***********.

Purpose, ***** ******** ******

******* ***** ***** ****** ***************** *****'* ****** ** **** ********* than *********** *****:

*** ****** *********** ****** ******* ** people ** **** *** ******** **** every ******, ***** ***** *********** ******** can **** **** ** ****** *******.

***** ***** ***** *************** ****** ******* ***** **** ** *** ****** is "**** *** ** * *******", an ******** *****.

******** ******** ******* **** *** ***** specifically *** *** ***** ****, ***** facial *********** ** ****** ********* *** a ***** ****** ******** **** ** terms ** ******** ********: ******* * face ***-***** ****** ****** ** ************* harder **** **** ****** ** ********* single **** ******, ** ***** *** transit ***** ** ******* ********.

Supplier - ******

*** ******* ****** *** ********* ********, * ** ******/******** ******* ***** in ******** **** ***+ *********, ********* to **********.

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*************** ****** *********** ********* **** ****** liveness *********, ******* ******* ** *** *****.

**** ****, ********** ****** $*** ********* * ****** * ***** ** financing *** ** *******'* ** ***. Orbbec *** **** ****** ** $* billion, ****** ** *** ** *****'* AI ********. *** ******** *************** ** * ********** ** *********, another *******-****** ****** *********** *******, ******** Orbbec ******* **** ******** ** ** imaging.

How ** *****

********* *** *** *** ****** *********** system (***** ** ********) ** *********** the ******'* "***** *****" *** *** registering ***** **** ** ****** * selfie. **** ***** **** *** **** uploaded, ********* **** **** ** ** specific ***** ** *** ****** ******* with **** *** ********* ***** *** size ** ** **** ***** ** the ***, **** **** **** *** camera ** ** ******* **.

** ***** ** ********* ***** ******,*** ****** ** ***** ********** **** the ******** ****** *****:

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******* **** *** ***'* **** ** required, ** *************, ***** ********* *** take **** ******* **** ** **** do *** **** ***** ***** ** wallet. *** *** *** ****** ***** are ****-*** *******: **** ***** *********** ********* * ** *** ***** ******** with *** ******:

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Identification, *** ************

*** ***** ****** ****** ** ************* different **** ***** ***-**-**** ******* ** China. *** *******, ** ** ******** to*** ** **** *****/*********** ** ***** one's ****- *******, ************* ***** ***** ********* ******* *****,***** ** ******** **** ** ** account ***** *** **** *** ********** registered ***/*** ****. *** ****** **** compares *** ********'* **** ** ** existing *****, ** *:* ******** ** face ************.

****** *** *****/********** *******, *****'* ****** does *** ******* ********* ***'* ********* number ** *** ***** **** ** ID - **** ***'* **** ** needed. ***** ******* **** *****************, *** ************. **** ***** *** Jinan ****** ** ** ******** ** identify ********* ******* **** ********* ** others ** *** ******, ** '*:*' matching.

Identification ** * *** ******

************** ** **** **** ********* **** verification ***** *** ****** **** ******* the ********'* **** ******* **** ****** rather **** **** ***.

**** *** ******** *** ********* **** 1:N ********, *** *******,** *** **** **** *********** ***************** *** ****** *********** ********* ***** support ** ** **,*** *****. ***** that *** **** *** * ******/**********, a ****** ******* ****** *** **** hundreds ** ********* ** **** ******** of *****, * **** ***** ****** matching ******* **** ****.

*************/********

*** ****** ** **** *****'* ****** facial *********** ******** *** *********** ******** which **** **** ******** *** ******* use ****, **** ***** *** ******** remaining ************.

*** ***** ****** ******************* "*** **** *** ****'* ******* when * ***** ** *** ** face ** *** **** *** *******. Feel **** **'* **** **** * marketing *******." * ***** *********** * ****** *** ******, ******* ************ **** about **** *******, ************* ****** ****** ********* ** ***** ******* **-** ****** per ****** (** *** ****** ***** 1-2 *******).

**** ** * ********** **** *** reporter's ***** - *** ***** *** on *** **** "******** **** *** yet *****":

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******* ***** ** ********* **********. ********** ******** *************** *** **** ***** & ********** of *** ***** ***** *** *** found **** *** *********** ****** ******* to ***** ** ***** ********* ******** will ** ***** ** *** ***** themselves:

***high ***** ** ****** ************ between twins, triplets, and [other identical siblings] may bring risks and payment issues like registration failure, abnormal ********, ******** **** *********, or multiple fare deduction, etc, which may bring damage to your personal properties. By clicking "Agree" to the Terms of Service, you *********** ********* **** *****. [emphasis added]

*** ***** **** ******** ***** ***** from *** ********* ** ***** ** hacking ** ****** *******.

Social ***** *********

**** ******* ****** ***** ***** **** said **** *** ****** **** *** system, **********:

  • ***** ******** ***** **, * ***** that **** ***** *** *** **********. The *********** ****** ** **** ********. If *** ***’* *** ********** *** 10 *******, ***'** **** ** ** swipe **** ****. (******)
  • *** **** *********** ***'* ** **** as ** ******'* ******* (******)
  • ***** **** *** **** ** ** the **** ***, *** **** ** take **** ******* *** ** ** doesn't **** (******)

Government ******** ** ******

** ********, *** ***** ****** *********** * ***** **************** ** ******* ********** ***** *** facial *********** ******. *** ******* ****** users *** ******** ***** ***** **** poor ******/**********, ***** **** ************* ********** in *** ******** ****** ***** ******* harder.

***** **** *** ****** ** ******* of ******* ******** *** *** ******* over ****, *** *********** **** ***** find * ***** **** ***** ***** with ** ***** ** ****** ***** face *** ***** ****** *********.

Privacy/Human ****** ********

** ** ******* **, *** *** of ********* *********** ** *** ****** transit ***** **** ** **** ****** for ******** ****** ** ***** ******'* movements. ** ********** *********, * ****-***** system ***** ** ******* *** ****** to *** ********* ******* ** **** around ***** *****. *** ***** *** used ****** ******* ************ *** ************* purposes:

  • ** ****, ******* ** *** ****** Falun **** **** **** ********* ***** on ***** ************ ******** ** **** passing ******** ** * ***, ********* to *********** ** ***** **** ******* ***** (see **** ***)
  • ****** *** ****** **** ******** ** Hong ****, ********** ***** *** ************ ******-**** ******* **** *********** ** ***** ***** ****** *****, which ***** ** **** *** ******** purposes
  • ** ********, ***** *** *** ** conducting * ******** ** *****************************, *********** ***** ****** *********** *************** ***** ********

*****, ***** ** ** ********** **** facial *********** *** ****** ******* ** spreading ** *****, ** **** ** will ** **** **********. ************, *** Jinan ****** ******* ******** *********.

**********

***** *** ***** ******'* *** ** face *** **** **** *********, ***** remains *** *** **** ***** ****** recognition ** * **** ****** ******* solution ** *** *******, **** *** technical ************ ********* *:* ******** ****** a *********** ******.

Comments (4)
UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #1
Jun 24, 2019

** **** ***** ** ******** *** metro's ** *********** ***** *** **** queues, *** *** *** ******* ******** but *** ******** ***** ****** *** even *** **** *** ********.

** *** ********* *** ** ****** them ****** ** ****** **** ** is ********* **** ******* ** *** to ****, *** ** *** ******* time ** *** ********** ** *** scheme ** **** *****.

***** **** ******* ****** ** **** a ******* ****, ***** ** **** there ** ** ***** ** *** time *****. * ***** ******* *** objective ** *** *** ***** *** for ******** ******.

(1)
UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #2
Jun 24, 2019

***** *** * ****** ***** ** the *******, *** *** ** *** article ******.

(1)
Avatar
Charles Rollet
Jun 25, 2019

***'** *****, ****** *** ******** **** out. *'** ********* *** *******.

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #3
Jun 28, 2019

**** ** *** (*****) **** ****** mess ****** ** * ****** ? May ** *** ******* ******** ***** like ** **** **** * ***