Secret cameras Voyeurism scandal in China brings calls for government to act

When Ming* found a hidden camera in her bedroom, she prayed for a reasonable explanation, wondering whether her boyfriend had placed it there to record memories of their "happy life" together.

- Jessie Lau

But he had been taking sexually exploitative photos of not just Ming and her female friends, but also of other women in other locations, then using AI technology to generate pornographic images of them.

After Ming confronted him, he "begged for mercy" but became angry when she refused to forgive him, she reportedly told the Chinese news outlet Jimu News.

Ming is just one of many women in China who have been covertly photographed or filmed - in private and public spaces, including toilets - by voyeurs who have circulated or sold the images online without consent. The explicit pictures, often taken using cameras hidden in ordinary objects, are then shared online in massive groups.

One such group on Telegram is named "MaskPark tree hole forum" and reportedly had more than 100,000 mostly male members.