Data Card
China Bans Mandatory Facial Recognition for Routine Business ID Checks
China has issued new rules prohibiting companies from forcing customers to use facial recognition for everyday identity verification, narrowing acceptable use to specific security and compliance scenarios.
2025-03-21CC-BY-4.0policyprivacychina
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Key Facts
- Businesses can no longer make facial recognition the only option for routine customer authentication.
- Permitted uses are limited to defined high-security or public safety contexts under data protection rules.
- Policy responds to overuse of biometric data in retail, property access, and online services.
Card Text
Chinese regulators have moved to curb the routine use of facial recognition in consumer services, barring companies from making face scans a mandatory condition for basic identity checks. Instead, organizations must offer non-biometric alternatives for standard customer onboarding and access.
The rules still allow facial recognition in tightly scoped contexts—such as critical infrastructure, public safety, or specialized security zones—but emphasize minimization and proportionality in biometric data collection.