Chinese technology expert Matthew Brennan recently shared a TikTok video of a woman buying from a vending machine using only her face.
In the video, a woman walks up to a vending machine, stops to get her face scanned and takes the drink. The purchase did not require her to take out her wallet or phone.
Not everyone is allowed to take advantage of this hassle-free payment method, however.
According to Business Insider, Brennan posted a similar video last month showing a foreigner attempting to buy a drink from a vending machine using the facial recognition technology.
Non-Chinese are completely blocked from using China’s new facial recognition payment systems (see video)
Error message Z6100: This account’s real-name verification is linked to a non-mainland China ID pic.twitter.com/SBJItKBWPL
Instead of a smooth transaction, the machine gave him an error message with a note saying, “This account’s real-name verification is linked to a non-mainland China ID.”
Netizens expressed their privacy concerns under Brennan’s Twitter post regarding the vending machines equipped with facial recognition tech.
How much privacy are you willing to give up for convenience in China? Apparently a lot.
Lol so epic and cool. The Chinese government has total control over your facial data thanks to apps selling it to them and is using it to enforce a credit system where you have to toe the party line, but at least you don’t have to use a card at a vending machine.
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