BEIJING: Hidden Cameras in Chinese Hotel Rooms Turn Couples’ Private Moments into Online Porn , A Growing Crisis
According to an international news agency, installing secret cameras in hotel rooms to secretly record couples’ intimate moments and sell the videos online has become a serious and widespread problem in China.
In 2023, a couple from Hong Kong – Eric and his girlfriend Emily – experienced this distressing ordeal during their stay at a hotel in Shenzhen.
The couple had no idea that their most private moments in the hotel room were being recorded by a hidden camera and that the footage would later become available online to thousands of viewers.
Eric recounted that three weeks ago, while browsing a social media channel, he suddenly came across a video of himself and Emily from their hotel stay.
he video was being shared on Telegram, where users watch and comment on hotel room activities captured by hidden cameras, often making derogatory remarks and judgments.
Since the incident, the affected couple now always wears caps in public to avoid being recognized and avoids staying in hotels altogether.
Eric said he no longer watches such explicit content on Telegram channels, but out of fear, he occasionally checks to see if their video has reappeared.
Their experience reveals how this underground industry operates. One of the most notorious agents, known as “AKA,” provides paying subscribers with monthly access to live hotel room feeds.
These live streams come from secret cameras connected to the hotel’s electrical systems, and users can also view archived recordings.
Through a single Telegram channel, thousands of people gained access to this content.
Participants frequently criticize couples’ behavior, rate their appearance, conversations, and sexual performance, and women are often subjected to particularly offensive and degrading language.
This form of “spy cam porn” has existed in China for at least a decade, even though producing and distributing such obscene videos is illegal.
In recent years, the issue has received significant attention on social media, and many users have learned how to detect small hidden cameras.
Some people have even started setting up tents inside hotel rooms as a precaution against being recorded.
A BBC investigation found that agents like AKA work for high-level “camera owners” who install the devices and manage the live-streaming platforms.
AKA reportedly earned millions through Telegram channels, despite China’s strict laws against the sale and use of hidden cameras.
