China banned mandatory facial recognition in private spaces and tightened biometric data rules last Friday, requiring organizations to obtain consent and conduct privacy impact assessments before deployment. The Cyberspace Administration and Ministry of Public Security also prohibited the tech in hotel rooms, public restrooms, and dressing rooms.
- Biometric safeguards: Organizations must encrypt facial data, audit security practices, and justify the necessity of using the technology. Exemptions exist for AI model training and research, allowing continued use of facial images for algorithm development.
- Government loophole: The rules do not clarify whether state agencies are exempt. Analysts speculate Beijing will continue deploying facial recognition for national identity schemes and monitoring ethnic minorities.
Zoho’s Ulaa browser won India’s government-sponsored Web Browser Development Challenge, securing ₹1 Crore ($115,000) for cross-platform compatibility. Competitors Team PING and Ajna placed second and third. Adoption remains uncertain due to Jio’s partnership with Google on Android devices.
- Taiwan infrastructure attacks: Cisco’s Talos unit identified a China-linked group, UAT-5918, targeting telecoms, healthcare, and IT sectors in Taiwan using unpatched vulnerabilities and open-source tools to steal credentials and data.
- X vs. India: Elon Musk’s social media platform sued India over content takedown laws, arguing they violate free speech. The government has previously removed posts about protests under national security claims.
Japan proposed a cybersecurity bill enabling “active defense” measures, including offensive cyber operations, despite privacy concerns. Digital Minister Masaaki Taira stated the law aligns with international norms and excludes personal data collection.
- ASPI harassment claims: The Australian Strategic Policy Institute reported coordinated Chinese trolling campaigns against its staff, including false state media claims about halting China research. Female employees faced heightened abuse.
