Hidden Cameras in Chinese Hotels Are Livestreaming Guests To Thousands of Telegram Subscribers (bbc.com) 44
An investigation has uncovered a sprawling network of hidden cameras in Chinese hotel rooms that livestream guests -- including couples having sex -- to paying subscribers on Telegram. Over 18 months, the BBC identified six websites and apps on the messaging platform that claimed to operate more than 180 spy cams across Chinese hotels, not just recording but broadcasting live.
One site, monitored for seven months, cycled through 54 different cameras, roughly half active at any given time. Subscribers pay 450 yuan (~$65) per month for access to multiple live feeds, archived clips, and a library of more than 6,000 edited videos dating back to 2017.
The BBC traced one camera to a hotel room in Zhengzhou, where researchers found it hidden inside a wall ventilation unit and hardwired into the building's electricity supply. A commercially available hidden-camera detector failed to flag it. China introduced regulations last April requiring hotel owners to check for hidden cameras, but the BBC found the livestreaming sites still operational.
One site, monitored for seven months, cycled through 54 different cameras, roughly half active at any given time. Subscribers pay 450 yuan (~$65) per month for access to multiple live feeds, archived clips, and a library of more than 6,000 edited videos dating back to 2017.
The BBC traced one camera to a hotel room in Zhengzhou, where researchers found it hidden inside a wall ventilation unit and hardwired into the building's electricity supply. A commercially available hidden-camera detector failed to flag it. China introduced regulations last April requiring hotel owners to check for hidden cameras, but the BBC found the livestreaming sites still operational.
Re: (Score:2, Flamebait)
Cool story bro!
Re: Propaganda / BBC Bullshit (Score:2)
Billy Idol? Fuck you, where's evidence?
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Indeed. Apparently, China has 16.5M hotel rooms. That means 1 in 91'000 will have a camera in this scheme. I very much doubt the rest of the world is any better.
My take is this is some mindless "China BAAAD!" propaganda piece. I wonder why they do not report on real problems with China. Maybe stories on things like spying on citizens, imprisoning citizens in internment camps, murdering citizens in the street hit a bit too close to home?
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"I wonder why they do not report on real problems with China. "
I wonder why you think they do not report on real problems in China.
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Me, I'm tired of arseholes telling me their rules against nudity and sex-workers, are important.
Re:Doesn't add up (Score:5, Interesting)
China isn't like North Korea, and even in North Korea they can't watch everyone all the time. Crime still happens.
I expect there will be some high profile arrests, and very harsh punishments. They will want to avoid it becoming like South Korea, where hidden cameras are a huge problem.
Crime and Punishment (Score:3)
Typically, adjusted for the perceived severity of the offense, punishment is proportional to the difficulty of identifying and apprehending the offender.
It's nearly impossible to sweep a hotel daily for these cameras. If you do find them, it's nearly impossible to identify who planted them.
So... I like 'stocks in the public square for a month'.
Re:Crime and Punishment (Score:4, Insightful)
This seems to have been a for profit operation, so they will be able to trace the money. I doubt whoever did it was careful enough to wipe the cameras clean of fingerprints anyway, let along manage good digital opsec.
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People who think that have never been to China. If they had been, they would have noticed that it's not like North Korea.
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This is around 1 in 91'000 rooms, assuming a max of one camera per room. The Chinese government may very well not know because this is so insignificant. And they would certainly not be "in" on something this small.
Seriously, get a grip. There are quite a few things wrong with China. This is not one of these things.
What kind of loser watches this? (Score:2)
Seriously, what kind of loser pays to watch this? It's pathetic.
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Seriously, what kind of loser pays to watch this? It's pathetic.
There will always be someone who wants to watch. However, this is partially China's fault. When they implemented the one child policy, they generated a massive gender imbalance (in their culture, sons are valued much higher than daughters, so sex-selection abortions were occurring). So you have a lot of (mostly) males who have no expectation of ever finding a partner/wife. However, sexual desire does not stop because there are no willing partners.
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However, sexual desire does not stop because there are no willing partners.
Why does Trump always show up in these discussions?
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in their culture, sons are valued much higher than daughters, so sex-selection abortions were occurring
Not according to the CIA Factbook [cia.gov].
There are cultures where the family of the bride is expected to pay for the wedding, and it is those in which sons are valued more than daughters.
China is not one of those.
Besides, the one-child-policy was in the 1960s. [wikipedia.org] That hasn't been relevant for decades.
With the 2020s they now have a pro-natalist policy.
Re: (Score:2)
Not according to the CIA Factbook.
You mean the Factbook that was taken down last week [slashdot.org]?
Besides, the one-child-policy was in the 1960s. That hasn't been relevant for decades.
Whether by policy or by cultural inertia, boys are still favored in China over girls. Please refer to this population pyramid [wikipedia.org], showing a substantial male surplus in China for all ages under 55.
annual average disposable income (Score:2)
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You are making the assumption that everyone has the exact same disposable income.
Those 5000 are the average, and the average tends to be skewed by outliers in the top 1%.
Which means that for most people, and the median, 500 is significantly more than 10%.
More realistic is that there are a bunch of people who wouldn't even notice that amount missing behind their couch.
A very small percentage of people, but enough to support this kind of business model.
(And they probably all know each other.)
Monitored for 7 months huh? (Score:1)
For science, I'm sure.
Main character syndrome (Score:4, Insightful)
This is an awful thing, granted but "Eric and Emily never go out without wearing hats now, for fear they might be recognised" is ridiculous - there are 8.3 BILLION people on the planet.
Eric & Emily I 1000% guarantee your sex antics are utterly not noteworthy nor memorable enough that the sorts of pr0n addicts that subscribe to these things would recognize you if you were sitting across from them at dinner. Guaranteed.
And you look like you're reasonably fit, healthy people.
Me, they'd pay to never see me in their feed again.
Re:Main character syndrome (Score:4, Insightful)
If I had to choose between having a naked photo of me floating around on the dark web or having my identity stolen, I'd take the photo myself.
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The problem is, these bedroom cameras affects a very small percentage of the population. They can claim it's not fair, they are victims. To be fair, the privacy-invading live-streaming isn't the probl
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Interestingly enough, Eric used to watch such videos until he saw himself in one of them.
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Me, they'd pay to never see me in their feed again.
My friend you have no idea what people will pay to wank to.
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This is an awful thing, granted...
Awful? I think it's just deserts for "Eric" given he was a consumer of the feeds himself. I feel for "Emily" but I think "Eric" got what he deserved.
Seems insignificant (Score:1, Redundant)
Apparently, China has approximately 16.5 million hotel rooms. Hence with at most 180 of these having cameras (0.0011%, 1 in 91'000), this does not seem to be a typically Chinese problem at all.
This articles seems to be some more mindless "China BAAAD!" propaganda. There are quite a few problems with China. Maybe focus on the real ones instead of this trash-level reporting?
Apply the same logic to other crimes (Score:3, Insightful)
That nice Mr Epstein... he can only have trafficked a few hundred girls out of the millions in the world, so why get upset about it?
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What an idiotic and deranged statement is that? By your logic (which I am sure you do not actually understand), all of the US obviously shares guilt in what Epstein did. Do you think that is accurate?
China bots HOOOO (Score:1)
Srs look at this mess. SD clean up the old accounts taken over.
Take a good look (Score:2)
These cheeks never shave or wax.
Monetizing the police state (Score:2)
I'm not worried. (Score:2)
There's nothing I'm doing in a hotel room that wouldn't solicit a reaction more intense than, "Ho hum... NEXT!"