AI facial recognition risks: Can Pakistan protect privacy?

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China taking measures to stop companies from violating or misusing identities of people

Remember when we wold forget our passwords, or someone just got access to them, we would rush to change them to protect our privacy? The protective measures later included facial recognition or thumb impressions as pass keys.

But what if our facial features get hacked? Yes, this threat very much exists and poses a real danger to how humans use artificial intelligence.

Just a few selfies are all it takes to create a new you, and that new ‘you’ is not even in your control.

Hence, the need for biometric security to enhance our privacy and protect our personal space. It was built on the idea that passwords can be forgotten, but your biometrics are within you. A person would be more secure about their information due to an upgraded level of security.

Facial security is really unique. Is it really?

In the good old days, when your passwords were breached, there came a new, solid password. But what if someone gets hold of your facial features through AI? Would you be able to change your face? Not quite.

Can biometrics be breached? Yes, they very much can be. Generative AI has converted this rather impossible task into something very much possible. How? When you enter a shopping market and your face is automatically recorded by a facial recognition system, you are exposed to security risks and your privacy is very much at stake.

The 2024 Outabox case in Australia illustrated how facial recognition can turn an ordinary visit to a club into a detailed digital profile. The reported breach exposed facial biometric information alongside identity documents, contact details and records of individuals’ visits, demonstrating how biometric data can become particularly intrusive when combined with other personal information.

So, what needs to be done now to protect our privacy?

China offers a compelling case study. Being a global leader in AI, it is taking measures to stop companies and organisations from violating or misusing the identities of people.

The model: China introduced new facial-recognition measures in June 2025, generally preventing organisations from making facial recognition the sole means of identity verification when an alternative is available. The rules also restrict the installation of facial-recognition equipment in public spaces and require clear warnings where facial data are collected.

For countries like Pakistan, the response to the growing use of facial recognition should focus on regulating the technology rather than simply banning it. Pakistan can introduce a dedicated legal framework for biometric data that clearly specifies when facial recognition may be used, requires consent where appropriate, and limits the collection, storage and sharing of citizens’ facial information.

Drawing lessons from China, the government should also establish independent oversight, impose strict cybersecurity standards, require transparency from organisations using the technology, and introduce penalties for misuse or unauthorised access.

Such safeguards can allow facial recognition to support security and public services while protecting citizens from unnecessary surveillance and permanent violations of privacy.

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