Facial recognition fails in China as people wear masks to avoid coronavirus
Face ID fails users as the China coronavirus outbreak sparks widespread adoption of surgical masks.
For hundreds of millions of people in China, the spread of the new coronavirus has caused abrupt changes to the smallest of habits — even a gesture that most in the country are used to by now: Looking into the camera for facial recognition.
Residents donning surgical face masks while venturing outside their homes or meeting strangers have found themselves in an unfamiliar conundrum. With their faces half-covered, some are unable to unlock their phones or use mobile payments with their faces.
