RLX Technology, a China-based e-vapor company, has recently announced the latest upgrade of Sunflower System, its minor protection system, in an event held in Yanji, China.

This minor protection system combining artificial intelligence and big data risk management has been upgraded to make age verification mandatory in all RELX-branded stores in China by 1^st October 2021. The company exclusively sells its wide range of products in mainland China and is willing to open the system for the entire industry to deploy in the future.

The latest Sunflower System 3.0 version will be installed in in-store, point-of-sale machines. This implies that any customer who intends to make a purchase will be required to verify their name, face, and ID prior to generation of orders by the system. Age verification will therefore become mandatory in stores, as both customers and store staff will be unable to generate purchase orders before completing the procedure.

In addition, the Sunflower System 3.0 will provide an option to use Chinese ID for the disabled and elderly people to verify their age, in case they find the protection system inconvenient to use.

For those unversed, the previous version - Sunflower System 2.0, adopted facial and ID recognition technologies to allow only adults to purchase products in the RELX stores. Any customer with legal, valid identification who can prove they are an adult are allowed to make a purchase from the stores.

Zhang Di, head of Data Technology at RLX, has reportedly cited that the successful application of the Sunflower System 2.0 depends on the willingness of both consumers and staff to cooperate. The company also emphasizes on making age verification as mandatory as the security checking done at the airports, Zhang added.

According to RLX’s CEO and Founder, Kate Wang, the company is aware of the fact that the age verification process will cost users extra communication and time. However, it also holds a strong belief that the technology will help avoid instances of minors purchasing vaping products.

Source credit:

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/rlx-technology-upgrades-its-minor-protection-system-sunflower-to-make-the-age-verification-mandatory-301372081.html