China Begins to Limit Use of Facial Recognition for Hotel Check-In Amid Privacy Concerns

Hotels in Chinese cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Hangzhou have been ordered by local authorities to stop scanning guests’ faces for check-in, Caixin has learned, as the government steps up protection of personal data amid growing use of facial recognition technology.

A majority of the hotels contacted by Caixin said that they received notices in late March or early April from local police departments requiring them to let guests check in without using facial recognition, while some said that they had been asked to do so as early as 2023 — after Beijing lifted its “zero-Covid” policy.