Chinese research study uses facial recognition to identify Uyghurs, Tibetans

Occurred: September 2021

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A research study by a Chinese professor at Curtin University, Australia, on 'Chinese ethnical groups' that used facial recognition to identify Uyghurs, Tibetans and Koreans was found to have breached the university's ethics standards. 

Wanquan Liu published the study (pdf), which he co-authored with three other academics at Chinese universities and which was co-funded by the Chinese government, without the consent of its subjects, and apparently without the university's knowledge. 

Liu resigned his post and moved to a university in China. The university said it would overhaul its informal academic research approval procedures and has asked publisher Wiley to retract the study.

Operator: Wanquan Liu; Cunrui Wang; Qingling Zhan; Yu Li; Lixin Miao
Developer: Wanquan Liu; Cunrui Wang; Qingling Zhan; Yu Liu; Lixin Miao
Country: Australia, China
Sector: Research/academia
Purpose: Identify Uyghur & Tibetan minorities
Technology: Facial recognition
Issue: Ethics; Privacy; Surveillance
Transparency: Governance; Privacy

Page info
Type: Issue
Published: September 2021