The new rules mark Beijing’s first major attempt to regulate facial recognition, a technology widely adopted around the country – such as at hotel check-ins, entrances to gated communities and to make digital payments.

Jointly released by the Cyberspace Administration of China and Ministry of Public Security on Friday, the final version of “regulations for the safe application of facial recognition technology” comes nearly two years after a public consultation on creating comprehensive guidelines.

The regulations aimed to address “growing concerns” among the public about the risks posed to personal data privacy and security, the authorities said.

China is a global leader in the adoption of facial recognition technology, driven by its robust internet industry and relatively lax regulatory environment on privacy protection. It has also heavily integrated facial recognition into its security surveillance network.

The new regulation mandates that “voluntary and explicit consent made on the premise of full knowledge” must be obtained “when processing facial information based on individual consent”.

Individuals shall also have the right to withdraw consent, and the body that processes the personal information should provide “a convenient way” for such withdrawal.

Also, when alternative methods to achieve the same ID verification are available, facial recognition shall not be offered as the only option. If someone refuses facial verification, “reasonable and convenient” alternatives shall be provided.

On data security, the new regulations specify that facial information shall not be transmitted externally through the internet, unless otherwise provided by laws and administrative regulations or with the individual’s separate consent.

The retention period of facial information shall also not exceed the shortest time necessary for processing.

Further, facial recognition applications shall adopt necessary security measures such as data encryption, security auditing, access control, authorisation management and intrusion detection to ensure data security.

Facial ID processors are also required to register with their provincial cyber administration body within 30 working days when they hold more than 100,000 facial data sets.

In strict moves on privacy protection, the regulations ban facial recognition equipment in private spaces such as hotel rooms, public bathrooms and dressing rooms.

The pervasive use of facial recognition technology in daily life in China has prompted increasing concerns about privacy and security.

In July 2021, the Supreme People’s Court issued a judicial interpretation that effectively banned the use of the technology to verify identities in public places like shopping malls and hotels without consent. The ruling also allowed residents to request alternative methods of verification to enter their neighbourhoods, emphasising the need for consent and providing options for those who refuse facial recognition.

That November, China’s personal information protection law took effect, mandating consent for the collection of facial data and imposing heavy fines on companies that fail to comply.

In 2022, a resident of the northern city of Tianjin sued his estate management company over making facial recognition the sole ID method for entry. The court ruled in favour of the resident and ordered the company to provide alternatives.

Denmark has one of the world’s highest retirement ages at 67, but a special 'senior pension' was introduced in 2020 to help workers who are too worn out to continue working. The scheme was expected to cover around 17,800 people by 2025, but due to high demand, over 30,000 people are now receiving it.

The senior pension is available to people within six years of retirement who have worked for many years but can now work no more than 15 hours per week due to health issues. However, Denmark’s largest trade unions — 3F, FOA, and HK — are reporting a growing number of unjustified rejections of applications. In 2020, 93% of applicants were approved, but by 2023, this dropped to 62%, raising concerns that financial considerations are influencing decisions.

Applicants have had to fight for their rights, with cases revealing that officials ignored medical assessments from applicants' general practitioners. Many rejected cases were later overturned after unions took legal action. A landmark court ruling in late 2024 forced the government to grant senior pension to a worker whose general practitioner had deemed him unable to work. Unions hope this will set a precedent for future cases.

The crisis highlights a difficult reality: Denmark’s economic success has come at the cost of its aging workforce. While neoliberal pension reforms are praised by establishment voices for strengthening the economy, they leave behind workers who have given their lives to labor, only to find themselves struggling when they need help the most.