One night in 2023, Eric was scrolling on a social media channel he regularly browsed for porn. Seconds into a video, he froze. He realized the couple he was watching – entering the room, setting down their bags, and later, having sex – was himself and his girlfriend. Three weeks earlier, they had spent the night in a hotel in Shenzhen, southern China, unaware that they were not alone. Their most intimate moments had been captured by a camera hidden in their hotel room, and the footage made available to thousands of strangers who had logged in to the channel Eric himself used to access pornography.
Eric (not his real name) was no longer just a consumer of China's spy-cam porn industry, but a victim. So-called spy-cam porn has existed in China for at least a decade, despite the fact that producing and distributing porn is illegal in the country. But in the past couple of years, the issue has become a regular talking point on social media, with people – particularly women – swapping tips on how to spot cameras as small as a pencil eraser. Some have even resorted to pitching tents inside hotel rooms to avoid being filmed. Last April, new government regulations attempted to stem this epidemic, requiring hotel owners to check regularly for hidden cameras.
Despite these regulations, the threat of being secretly filmed in the privacy of a hotel room has not gone away. The BBC World Service has found thousands of recent spy-cam videos filmed in hotel rooms and sold as porn on multiple sites. Much of the material is advertised on the messaging and social media app Telegram, where various websites claim to operate more than 180 hotel-room spy-cams that capture and livestream hotel guests' activities.
During their investigation, BBC reporters noted significant demand for these videos, with as many as 10,000 members in some Telegram channels. Before discovering their own predicament, Eric had spent years attracted to such footage, finding it less staged than traditional porn. However, upon witnessing their private moments shared publicly, both he and Emily were left mortified and traumatized.
The incident reflects a broader culture of voyeurism in China and the challenges faced by authorities in tackling this illicit industry which exploits unsuspecting individuals. The ongoing investigation raises critical questions about consent, privacy, and the responsibilities of tech companies in curbing non-consensual sharing of intimate media.
Eric (not his real name) was no longer just a consumer of China's spy-cam porn industry, but a victim. So-called spy-cam porn has existed in China for at least a decade, despite the fact that producing and distributing porn is illegal in the country. But in the past couple of years, the issue has become a regular talking point on social media, with people – particularly women – swapping tips on how to spot cameras as small as a pencil eraser. Some have even resorted to pitching tents inside hotel rooms to avoid being filmed. Last April, new government regulations attempted to stem this epidemic, requiring hotel owners to check regularly for hidden cameras.
Despite these regulations, the threat of being secretly filmed in the privacy of a hotel room has not gone away. The BBC World Service has found thousands of recent spy-cam videos filmed in hotel rooms and sold as porn on multiple sites. Much of the material is advertised on the messaging and social media app Telegram, where various websites claim to operate more than 180 hotel-room spy-cams that capture and livestream hotel guests' activities.
During their investigation, BBC reporters noted significant demand for these videos, with as many as 10,000 members in some Telegram channels. Before discovering their own predicament, Eric had spent years attracted to such footage, finding it less staged than traditional porn. However, upon witnessing their private moments shared publicly, both he and Emily were left mortified and traumatized.
The incident reflects a broader culture of voyeurism in China and the challenges faced by authorities in tackling this illicit industry which exploits unsuspecting individuals. The ongoing investigation raises critical questions about consent, privacy, and the responsibilities of tech companies in curbing non-consensual sharing of intimate media.
