If Faces Match, Door Opens... Xiaomi Smart Door Lock Mistakenly Lets in Delivery Person, Stirring Concerns in China

"Unlocked with Someone Else's Face"

An incident occurred in which a smart door lock from Chinese IT company Xiaomi mistakenly recognized a delivery person as the homeowner, causing the door to open automatically. This has heightened concerns about security systems in the local community.

According to Singaporean media outlet MustShareNews and others on August 18, a video was posted on Chinese social networking site Weibo on August 11, showing the facial recognition feature of Xiaomi's "Smart Door Lock 2 Pro Model" malfunctioning.

The homeowner, identified as Mr. Shi, who lives in Beijing, stated that he was lying in bed at the time. When the delivery person arrived, the door lock mistakenly recognized the delivery person's face as his own and automatically opened the door. The incident was also captured on closed-circuit (CC)TV footage, which showed the delivery person turning around in surprise when the door suddenly opened.

A smart door lock from Chinese company Xiaomi mistakenly recognized a delivery person as the homeowner, causing the door to open automatically. Weibo

Mr. Shi said, "There have been times when the door lock failed to properly recognize my face and asked for secondary verification, but this is the first time it has unlocked for someone else's face." He added, "Although the delivery person's face looked somewhat similar to mine, this is absolutely unacceptable."

After Mr. Shi reported the issue to Xiaomi's customer service center, Xiaomi responded by saying, "There may be a problem with the software or components," and offered to visit his home to inspect the product.

Following the incident, concerns have grown locally regarding automatic locking devices and facial recognition technology. Online users expressed their worries, saying, "What if it had been a thief?" and pointed out, "This case demonstrates the limitations of biometric recognition technology."

Meanwhile, the door lock in question is equipped with "3D structured light facial recognition technology." Xiaomi has promoted that the device allows for contactless unlocking through facial scanning alone, emphasizing the accuracy and security of the technology.