Shanghai expands digital governance with privacy-protective QR code system

Shanghai continues to lead in urban digital transformation, leveraging its Shanghai QR Code to streamline public services while ensuring data security.

The innovative system, which integrates healthcare, transportation, tourism, and government services into a single platform, is now being adopted in a range of scenarios - from parking management to cultural activities.

Last year, Linfen Road Subdistrict in Jing'an District pioneered a smart parking system using the QR code, improving transparency and efficiency in community parking management. The "Parking via Code" model has since been replicated in nearly 700 neighborhoods across the city.

However, as such initiatives often involve collaboration between local authorities and third-party tech firms, concerns arise over how residents' personal data is protected.

With the Shanghai QR Code as the carrier, third-party partners operate under Shanghai's public data authorization framework, to develop applications - without ever accessing residents' private personal data.

"The results are processed through Shanghai Big Data Center's public data system. Residents' personal addresses and ID documents are usable but invisible, ensuring privacy protection for the residents while guaranteeing fair, impartial, and transparent verification outcomes," said Chen Lili, head of a digital tech firm, one of the participating companies.

Today, over 350,000 Shanghai residents use the QR code daily for services such as metro rides, public service, and medical appointments. In 2024 alone, 198 new application scenarios were added.

To further expand its reach, the municipality will host an innovation competition this year to crowdsource fresh ideas.

"We're committed to broadening applications of the Shanghai QR Code to better serve the public, support businesses, and advance the city's digital transformation. We will develop more innovative applications to meet public demand," said Ke Wei, senior engineer at the Shanghai Big Data Center.

The U.S. dollar strengthened in late trading on Thursday.

The dollar index, which measures the greenback against six major peers, added 0.21 percent to 97.824 at 15:00 (2000 GMT).

In late New York trading, the euro decreased to 1.1794 dollars from 1.1809 dollars in the previous session, and the British pound was down to 1.3549 dollars from 1.3663 dollars in the previous session.

The U.S. dollar bought 156.9 Japanese yen, higher than 156.82 Japanese yen in the previous session. The U.S. dollar was up to 0.7774 Swiss francs from 0.7766 Swiss francs, and it climbed to 1.3682 Canadian dollars from 1.3668 Canadian dollars. The U.S. dollar rose to 9.0363 Swedish kronor from 8.9864 Swedish kronor.