Challenge of data privacy has to be faced to promote governance

A customer looks at the computer screen after scanning her face to pay at a self-service chain store in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu province, Aug 28, 2017. However, some are questioning whether the compulsory "face scanning" constitutes violations of people's privacy, as it involves the collection of tremendous sensitive personal biometric information. The Personal Information Protection Law stipulates that "personal information processors may process sensitive personal information only when there is a specific purpose and sufficient necessity, and strict protective measures are taken". It can be seen that the collection of personal information should also follow the principle of proportionality between means and purposes, and seek the greatest "common denominator" of governance between public security, commercial interests and individual rights and interests. That the previously compulsory "face scanning" was made optional in Shanghai for hotels in the city is a concession of the local government to people's right to privacy.