Beijing Debuts Facial Recognition System in Subways

A Beijing subway station is promoting a system that recognizes the faces of passengers and matches them to a database, as China’s adoption of surveillance technology gathers pace despite misgivings about privacy.

Passengers will be able to use a facial recognition gateway during rush hour if they sign up to the service by registering with a QR code, according to security officials at Fuchengmen Station in the west of China’s capital. Bags larger than an A4 piece of paper still need to be checked, they said. A representative from Beijing Ruubypay Science and Technology Co., which is promoting the system, added that it’s unclear when it will be rolled out citywide.