Beware, you’re being filmed: Thousands of videos from hotels in China leak online

Thousands of videos filmed in hotels in China have appeared online. The production of so-called “spy-cam porn” has existed in China for at least a decade, despite the fact that the production and distribution of such videos is illegal in the country, the BBC writes.

Hidden cameras in hotel rooms are used to record guests without their knowledge, and the footage is then distributed online as pornographic material.

In addition to pornographic websites, such videos are also uploaded to Telegram channels, even though the app is banned in China — it is being used in the country for illegal activities.

Since April of last year, the Chinese government has tried to prevent the distribution of such videos with new regulations, requiring hotel owners to regularly check for hidden cameras, yet the threat has not disappeared. Recently, BBC World Service discovered thousands of videos filmed in hotel rooms and sold online on multiple websites.