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The new rules mark Beijing’s first major attempt to regulate facial recognition, a technology widely adopted around the country – such as at hotel check-ins, entrances to gated communities and to make digital payments.

Jointly released by the Cyberspace Administration of China and Ministry of Public Security on Friday, the final version of “regulations for the safe application of facial recognition technology” comes nearly two years after a public consultation on creating comprehensive guidelines.

The regulations aimed to address “growing concerns” among the public about the risks posed to personal data privacy and security, the authorities said.

China is a global leader in the adoption of facial recognition technology, driven by its robust internet industry and relatively lax regulatory environment on privacy protection. It has also heavily integrated facial recognition into its security surveillance network.

The new regulation mandates that “voluntary and explicit consent made on the premise of full knowledge” must be obtained “when processing facial information based on individual consent”.

Individuals shall also have the right to withdraw consent, and the body that processes the personal information should provide “a convenient way” for such withdrawal.

Also, when alternative methods to achieve the same ID verification are available, facial recognition shall not be offered as the only option. If someone refuses facial verification, “reasonable and convenient” alternatives shall be provided.

On data security, the new regulations specify that facial information shall not be transmitted externally through the internet, unless otherwise provided by laws and administrative regulations or with the individual’s separate consent.

The retention period of facial information shall also not exceed the shortest time necessary for processing.

Further, facial recognition applications shall adopt necessary security measures such as data encryption, security auditing, access control, authorisation management and intrusion detection to ensure data security.

Facial ID processors are also required to register with their provincial cyber administration body within 30 working days when they hold more than 100,000 facial data sets.

In strict moves on privacy protection, the regulations ban facial recognition equipment in private spaces such as hotel rooms, public bathrooms and dressing rooms.

The pervasive use of facial recognition technology in daily life in China has prompted increasing concerns about privacy and security.

In July 2021, the Supreme People’s Court issued a judicial interpretation that effectively banned the use of the technology to verify identities in public places like shopping malls and hotels without consent. The ruling also allowed residents to request alternative methods of verification to enter their neighbourhoods, emphasising the need for consent and providing options for those who refuse facial recognition.

That November, China’s personal information protection law took effect, mandating consent for the collection of facial data and imposing heavy fines on companies that fail to comply.

In 2022, a resident of the northern city of Tianjin sued his estate management company over making facial recognition the sole ID method for entry. The court ruled in favour of the resident and ordered the company to provide alternatives.

WASHINGTON/HOUSTON March 24 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that any country that buys oil or gas from Venezuela will pay a 25% tariff on any trades made with the United States. This "secondary tariff" will take effect on April 2, Trump said in a Truth Social post. Trump is imposing the move because, he said, Venezuela has sent "tens of thousands" of people to the United States who have a "very violent nature."

Earlier this month, Trump issued a 30-day wind down of a license that the U.S. had granted to Chevron (CVX.N), opens new tab since 2022 to operate in sanctioned Venezuela and export its oil, after he accused President Nicolas Maduro of not making progress on electoral reforms and migrant returns. Trump earlier this month invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to justify the deportation of alleged members of Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua without final removal orders from immigration judges.

China, which already has been the subject of U.S. tariffs, is the largest buyer of Venezuela's oil, the OPEC member's main export. In February, China received directly and indirectly some 503,000 barrels per day (bpd) of Venezuelan crude and fuel, which represented 55% of total exports. Tariff impositions in China to imports of certain types of Venezuelan oil in past years led to a decline in the volume of Venezuelan crude received by Chinese buyers, which ultimately forced state company PDVSA to widen price discounts to continue sellin to its most important market.

Spain, Italy, Cuba and India are other consumers of Venezuelan oil. U.S. imports of the oil are set to end in early April unless Trump extends the wind down. There was no immediate response from Maduro's government to a request for comment.

Levies by China in past years on imports of certain types of Venezuelan oil led to a decline in the volume of Venezuelan crude received by Chinese buyers, which ultimately forced state company PDVSA to widen price discounts to continue selling to its most important market.

And I'm always like "It's better this way than to have a shitton of fake friends", but fuck, do I feel alone and isolated these days. Then I watch some news or read articles about Palestine and I quickly don't care about the cowards and assholes who "used to be my friends" anymore. I'm glad hexbear exists, I think I would've given up already without it.