China launches mobile ID authentication chips to rein in personal data theft

China’s Ministry of Public Security issued the first batch of 50,000 smart chip cards in Gongqing City of Jiangxi Province in an attempt to promote safer and easier identity authentication for smartphone users. The technology is expected to have wide applications in areas such as e-commerce, social media, and administrative services.

Dubbed as SIMeID, the card can store users’ basic personal data such as names, phone numbers, ID card numbers, and other information. The chip is only 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. This means users will not have to submit these data every time, lowering the risk of data leakage.

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