The news: Customers in China who buy SIM cards or register new mobile-phone services must have their faces scanned under a new law that came into effect yesterday. China's government says the new rule, which was passed into law back in September, will "protect the legitimate rights and interest of citizens in cyberspace." A controversial step: It can be seen as part of an ongoing push by China's government to make sure that people use services on the internet under their real names, thus helping to reduce fraud and boost cybersecurity. On the other hand, it also looks like part of a drive to make sure every member of the population can be surveilled. How do Chinese people feel about it? It's hard to say for sure, given how strictly the press and social media are regulated, but there are hints of growing unease over the use of facial recognition technology within the country.

People in China are now required to have their faces scanned when registering new mobile phone services, as the authorities seek to verify the identities of the country's hundreds of millions of internet users. The regulation, announced in September, was due to come into effect Sunday. The government says it wants to "protect the legitimate rights and interest of citizens in cyberspace". China already uses facial recognition technology to survey its population. It is a world leader in such technologies but its intensifying use across the country in recent years has sparked debate.

In Padang, West Sumatra, San Francisco-based non-profit organisation Rainforest Connection is mounting used cellphones on trees to detect sounds that originate from chainsaws or trucks belonging to illegal loggers. Rangers, villagers and law enforcement agencies are then alerted to the illegal activities and can take action. In Singapore, DBS Bank is predicting when employees will quit, so management can intervene and retain staff. In Taipei, Taiwan's performing arts centre National Theatre and Concert Hall is using technology to provide automatic sub-titling so that people with hearing disabilities can also enjoy performances. What unites the three cities in their cutting-edge exploits is a new frontier technology known as artificial intelligence (AI).

Police in Cardiff will use facial recognition to track the 170,000 football fans expected to descend on the city for the Champions League final. The Welsh capital is gearing up to host the biggest crowd it has ever welcomed for the June 3 match when Real Madrid will take on Juventus at the Millennium Stadium. South Wales Police has been given £177,000 ($230,000) to pilot the facial recognition technology, which will monitor people on pre-determined'watch lists' These watch lists may include dangerous wanted or missing persons. Facial recognition identifies people by analysing the shape of a person's face. Each face has approximately 80 unique nodal points which distinguishes one from another.