Hidden Camera Concerns

Since June 2019, hidden cameras in hotel rooms have sparked public concern after media reports that mini devices were secretly filming people. A 42-year-old insurance company employee was detained by police after installing pinhole cameras in five guest rooms in a hotel in Zhengzhou, Henan Province. The hashtag “How to discover cameras which are secretly filming” generated 140 million views on the social media platform Weibo. China has already prohibited the sales and use of pinhole cameras, which while no longer sold on major Chinese e-commerce platforms, remain available on some online second-hand marketplaces. Experts caution that respecting guest privacy is the basic requirement for any hotel, and it is high time to crack down on this illegal behavior and bring all those who profit from it to justice.