That passport photo that you’re embarrassed to share with friends? That’s now open to public consumption thanks to Chinese immigration. All passports are scanned as part of the departure process, and the scan is presented to the passenger on a display that is visible to anyone standing in proximity. Is this a deliberate design choice – where the designer’s notion of privacy differs from my own, or is it simply poor design – where the context of use has not been adequately

Putting aside the issue of why the passenger needs to confirm the passport that they have just handed over is theirs – a simply solution with the current process is to add privacy filters to narrow down the viewing cone on the display

Since you’re wondering – the photo is of a willing family member. And yes, it is relatively easy to take a photo in China immigration – quite unlike your own country.