Chinese Database Leaks 800M Facial and Vehicle Plate Records of Its Citizens

Isaiah Richard, Tech Times 30 August 2022, 09:08 pm

A Chinese database leaked online, and it exposed a significant amount of its citizens, including their facial recognition photos and vehicle license plate information, before getting taken down this month. It is a considerable exposure of the personal information in the country despite being known for its state surveillance that is routinary and practiced there.

Chinese Database Leaks Online Exposing 800M People

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Tourists go through pre-departure formalities at the Sanya Phoenix airport as stranded holidaymakers prepare to leave the Covid-hit resort city of Sanya on Hainan Island on August 9, 2022. - Tens of thousands of tourists stranded in a Covid-hit resort city in southern China due to travel curbs can begin leaving in batches, authorities said on August 9, but many remain trapped. - China OUT

A known security researcher, Anurag Sen, revealed online that China has a significant database leak for its state surveillance data that exposed over 800 million citizens of the country. It is through Xinai Electronics' database that leaked for several months before it was taken down only this August, leaving different entities to look into available information.

According to Tech Crunch, Xinai has a massive range of available technology for all, and it brings several focus on vehicle plate recognition technology for controlling access for parking systems available. The company also offers a facial recognition system for management purposes, including payroll, attendance, and performance monitoring, among many features.

Still, the massive data leak came from its systems, exposing citizens and their vehicle information online.

Xinai Electronics Database Leak Taken Down

After being on the internet for a long time, Xinai Electronics took down its exposed database that entities may access and take the information for themselves. It still is a database breach for the company, and it freely left the Chinese citizen's information online, a significant security concern to the company's system and the people.

Facial Recognition and Online Database

While state surveillance is a known fact around the globe, many human rights groups and those that promote privacy among the public denounce it. Some are acceptable, and some are not, as they violate several laws against humanity present in different states.

Nevertheless, during the initial surge of the coronavirus, governments were tracking smartphones to know areas that have significant positive cases of the virus.

Another case that rocked the world of surveillance and facial recognition is with Clearview AI, with the United Kingdom giving fines to the company for its illegal collection of data unknown to all.

Some countries are against it, but for China, it is already a practice for its government to keep tabs on its citizens and monitor their actions under a watchful eye.

Still, despite having a known state surveillance focus in the country, a database leak is a significant dispute among its citizens as it could mean that other parties, aside from its government, have access to their personal and private information. Xinai Electronics' recent database leak proves the company and the state have a massive problem in its security as evidenced by the incident.

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Written by Isaiah Richard