Preventing toilet paper theft with facial recognition software
News News blog
In China, it seems not uncommon for some people to use public facilities to stock up on free supplies such as soap, paper towels and toilet paper. For this reason, some facilities in China already do not provide toilet paper, while others offer only one roll for all to use.
Chinese authorities in Beijing combated chronic toilet paper theft in the public toilet at the Temple of Heaven Park in 2017 by issuing toilet paper in a dispenser with facial recognition software.
As a result, the public toilet in the Temple of Heaven Park dispenses a small amount of paper - about half a meter long - for each person only every nine minutes after a facial scan stores the user's identity.
This has caused resentment among some residents - but not only because of the now missing free toilet paper. Users are particularly upset about the small amount of toilet paper given out, which many find insufficient. For many visitors to the park, this new measure "goes down the loo".
