Mobile ID authentication chips launched for Chinese users to stop data theft

The technology has been rolled out by China’s Ministry of Public Security and it is expected to have wide applications in areas such as ecommerce, social media, and administrative services. The card is called SIMeID and can store users’ basic personal data such as names, phone numbers, ID card numbers, and other information. The chip is 0.19 mm wide and can be attached to a SIM card easily.

During online transactions, the technology automatically provides the pre-stored information for identity authentication, therefore users will not have to submit these data every time.

With more and more people preferring online transactions, personal information theft has been running rampant in China. Citing a report by the Internet Society of China released in 2017, Tech Node revealed that nearly 80% of web users had their personal information leaked.

Moreover, state authorities cracked down on numerous members of a syndicate for allegedly buying and selling personal data over the internet, according to online publication Tech Node. For example, a Chinese artist bought personal data of 346,000 Wuhan residents and displayed them at a Wuhan art gallery, to raise people’s awareness about data privacy.