Le Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and theSingapore Hotel Association (SHA) recently unveiled a series of initiatives aimed at increasing productivity and efficiency in hotel establishments. Productivity has already risen by 4,5 % on average every year since 2015. But those in charge of the tourism industry intend to do even better. " To transform the hotel industry and support our hotels to be more competitive and innovative with a view to sustainable growth, we continue to work closely with our industry partners to improve the customer experience thanks to new solutions and initiatives".said Tan Yen Nee, Director of Hotels and Human Resources for the Singapore Tourism Board at a hotel seminar.. He added: "We are certainly concentrating on the technology but the human is at the heart of the business, and the passion and skills of hotel staff are the driving force behind the industry." . One measure is likely to be contested by some travellers: the E-Visitor Authentication (EVA)The new system, which will enable hotels to immediately check the validity of a guest's stay and speed up check-in procedures, is designed to reduce Singapore's total cost of ownership by 70%. Participating hotels have the option of using a facial recognition for authenticate the identity of their customerswhile passenger data are simultaneously sent to immigration services of the city-state, who check the validity of the stay. The exchange of data with the immigration authorities (ICA) was confirmed to the online media outlet Skift by the STB.
Admittedly, the STB and the CSA emphasise that the system will give hotel receptionists more time to satisfy and advise their guests. But travellers may wonder what will happen to the data collected. Singapore's Minister for Trade and Industry, Chee Hong Tat, assures us that the new technology will not be able to identify whether the customer is legally in the country. This raises the question of protection of privacy visitors entering Singapore and monitoring their movements. Because what happens if a traveller decides at the last minute to change hotel for whatever reason, and the hotel sees that the guest has not been pre-booked? What about travellers who choose an apartment-sharing solution such as Airbnb ? Finally, how will certain countries react if their citizens protest against the use of their private data by the Singaporean authorities? When questioned by e-mail, the STB and the ICA immigration services passed the quid and referred to their respective press releases.
READ ALSO: " Biometrics: should we be worried about facial recognition at airports?"
According to information on the the Personal Data Protection Commission of Singapore (PDPC)the information collected is protected under a 2012 law (PDPA). The PDPA includes various rules governing the collection, use, disclosure and retention of personal data. It recognises both the right of individuals to protect their personal data, including rights of access and rectification, and the need of organisations to collect, use or disclose personal data for legitimate and reasonable purposes.
Will the law make travellers feel more at ease? The system is due to come into force a few months after a test in three hotels Ascott Orchard, Swissotel The Stamford and Grand Park City Hall. A major public relations effort abroad will probably be necessary.
Facial recognition mandatory for telephone networks in ChinaJust a three-hour flight from Singapore, over the years China has developed a highly sophisticated system for 'monitoring' its citizens. From banning numerous online sites to monitoring civil servants by means of an application that checks whether they have read the People's Daily on their mobile, China has become the world leader in controlling individual freedoms. And it would be wrong not to, given that its citizens don't really seem to be opposed to these measures... Since 1 December, a new step has been taken: all mobile phone users in China who register new SIM cards must undergo facial recognition scansin accordance with a new rule. The directive, published last September, requires telecommunications companies to use " artificial intelligence and all technological methods You can also use the "SIM card" function to check the identity of people who register SIM cards. This measure is, of course, described by the Ministry of Industry and Information as a means of "protecting the legitimate rights and interests of citizens in cyberspace "It also makes it easier to track mobile phone and Internet users. The measure follows on from the requirement for mobile phone owners to register SIM cards with their identity card or passport, and the obligation to give their real identity via a telephone number to access social networks. However, many of these facial recognition systems are often launched on the sly, and China has no regulations on how facial recognition can be used. More than two dozen Chinese technology companies have begun drafting national standards for the industry. However, this is yet another step towards surveillance of everyone on Chinese territory, including foreign visitors. |
