China drafts rules for facial recognition tech amid privacy complaints

China's cyberspace regulator said it has issued draft rules to oversee the security management of facial recognition technology in the country, following concerns raised in public about the overuse of the technology. The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) said on Tuesday that facial recognition technology can only be used to process facial information when there is a specific purpose and sufficient necessity as well as with strict protective measures. The use of the technology will also require an individual's consent, the CAC said in a statement. It added that non-biometric identification solutions should be favoured over facial recognition in cases where such methods are equally effective. Biometric identification, especially facial recognition, has become widespread in China.