The installation of cameras in public places is nothing out of the ordinary now, but since online sources exposed surveillance cameras in theaters filming audiences, debate has surged over the infringement of privacy.
While some netizens have criticized theaters for violating their privacy, others, conversely, feel that cameras would in fact promote more "civilized habits" among movie-goers.
According to Beijing Youth Daily, cinema staff said they installed cameras in order to keep watch over whether a film is showing smoothly and whether there is any rule breaking going on such as smoking or fighting. As Shanghai news portal The Paper reported, staff who work in the monitoring room have to keep an eye on more than one theater at once, and they generally cannot see audiences clearly due to low-resolution images.
The staff also told Beijing Youth Daily that the camera could protect the copyright of a film being shown. This is because every film being shown in every cinema has its own special code meaning pirated materials shot in a cinema can be traced to the exact cinema.
Han Xiao, a lawyer in Beijing, noted that movie theaters count as public places and that the installation of cameras is legal, meaning that they do not constitute an invasion of privacy; but if staff in cinemas were to post videos or photos online without permission, this would violate audiences’ right to privacy. He suggested theaters should add signs to notify audiences when they have entered monitored areas.
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