The Supreme People's Court issued a rule setting out guidelines for the use of face-scanning technology and protection of people's identities and privacy.

Shops installing face-scanning systems to gather consumers' data without getting their permission and software operators forcing users to give their facial information will be in violation of people's personality rights, the rule said.

The 16-article judicial interpretation, which will provide guidance for judges in civil cases, takes effect from 1 August 2021.

From July 1, 2010, to Dec 31, 2020, courts nationwide heard 1.14 million disputes relating to people's personality rights, according to the top court. They also resolved 1,678 privacy-related cases between January 2016 and December 2020.

In recent years, legislative measures have also been introduced to deal with information leaks relating to offenses such as telecom fraud and blackmail, to safeguard people's property and personal rights.

From June 2017 to June this year, courts nationwide heard 10,059 criminal cases involving infringement of personal information, of which, 9,743 have been concluded, according to the top court.

Source:
http://english.court.gov.cn/2021-07/29/content_37545967.htm (English)