Lifestyle

Pay with your face? China’s subway system experiments with facial recognition instead of payments



In London, you can pay for the tube using contactless cards, your smartphone or smartwatch as well as the standard ticket or Oyster card offering. As technologically forward this may be, particularly compared to other global cities, China wants to one up this offering by allowing people to pay with their faces. 

The country’s major tech city, Shenzhen – which is the home to the likes of OnePlus, Huawei and internet giant Tencent – recently debuted a new system which allows people over the age of 60 to register for free subway rides, using their face as their ticket.

This form of facial recognition is also being experimented with in other cities including Jinan, Shanghai and Nanjing according to the South China Morning Post.

The tech involved has been developed by Tencent in conjunction with the Shenzhen metro operator. People over the age of 60 need to register for the system in order for it to open the gates, similar to the way a free bus pass would work. In China, customers have been able to “pay with a smile” at KFC since 2017, using Alibaba’s Alipay facial recognition software.  

There are some benefits to use facial recognition this way. Mainly, it’s likely to speed up passengers moving through the barriers to get to platforms, as well as prevent fraud. However, the use of this kind of technology is controversial. 

Earlier this month, YouGov carried out the first national survey of public opinion in the UK regarding the use of facial recognition tech. Published by the Ada Lovelace Institute, 4,109 adults aged over 16 were questioned on the opinions of the technology and in general it showed that the British public are against the tech. 

When it came to the police using the technology, 55 per cent said they wanted the UK government to impose restrictions. In addition, 46 per cent of respondents said they want the right to opt-out of the use of facial recognition technology. 

The tool allows facial images to be scanned in public places and then compared with images on police ‘watch lists’. (AFP/Getty Images)

In addition, it appears that following in the footsteps of Shenzhen wouldn’t work in the UK too – with 61 per cent of people opposed to the use of facial recognition tech on public transport. A statement from TfL said: “We have no plans to introduce this type of technology in London as our contactless system, which is now used by around 60 per cent of people who travel using pay as you go, continues to deliver benefits to customers.”

The survey was particularly well-timed given the reports by the Financial Times on the use of facial recognition tech by the Met Police and British Transport Police in King’s Cross in order to prevent crime. The tech was in use at King’s Cross and St Pancras International stations, as well as restaurants, shops and cafes in the area.

The police forces initially denied using the technology, before admitting their involvement. The Information Commissioner said the use of the tech was a “potential threat to privacy” when it announced an investigation into the practice last month. 

Speaking about the YouGov survey, Carly Kind, Director of the Ada Lovelace Institute, said: “These findings show that companies and the government have a responsibility to act now. The UK is not ready for facial recognition technology. As a first step, a voluntary moratorium by all those selling and using facial recognition technology would enable a more informed conversation with the public about limitations and appropriate safeguards.”



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