"That's when I understood why my ex-boyfriend liked taking pictures of me in bed," she said about the incident, which surfaced in late July and caused a stir on the social media platform Xiaohongshu.

Mie met her Canadian boyfriend three years ago. She stumbled upon the secret album while looking through his phone. When confronted, he pleaded for forgiveness, then became enraged when she broke up with him. "He claimed the photos were downloaded, but it turned out to be a sick collection he'd built himself," she said.

Accusations are swirling around the MaskPark Tree Hole Forum, a platform with over 100,000 members who share and exchange secretly recorded images of an estimated 900,000 female victims in China. The forum's activities were exposed in late July.

Hidden cameras are a growing fear for women in China. Illustration: QQ

The forum's content ranged from surreptitious recordings of women on the street, in elevators, public restrooms, and maternity clinics to photos of ex-girlfriends, wives, and even mothers and daughters. Some perpetrators disguised themselves as women to install hidden cameras in women's restrooms, while others concealed tiny cameras in shoes, toilet cleaning bottles, or household appliances.

More alarmingly, hackers target home security cameras to steal footage. These cameras operate 24/7, continuously transmitting images, highlighting the vast scale of the hidden camera problem. Children are also among the victims.

Netizens are calling it "China's Nth Room," comparing it to the 2018-2020 South Korean scandal where thousands of women were secretly filmed and the footage distributed via Telegram.

Momo (a pseudonym), who infiltrated these groups, revealed a vast underground industry. To join, members are required to contribute private photos or videos. "The groups share videos and sell equipment. Users can purchase cameras disguised as water cups, power sockets, or essential oil diffusers," Momo said.

Another victim, Ding, discovered that photos and videos secretly taken by her ex-boyfriend were circulating on MaskPark. By the time she reported it to the police, the suspect had erased all evidence.

She learned about the group when a stranger sent her a link. When she joined in May, there were just over 80,000 members, but by the end of June, it had surpassed 100,000. Administrators quickly changed the group's name and created backup links to avoid detection. Telegram's security settings, which prevent saving or taking screenshots, make evidence gathering nearly impossible.

The forum's main page is now defunct, but a related page displays the message: "Reported 6 times, proceed with caution."

According to lawyer Qie Qiaohui of Jiangsu Fade Dongheng Law Firm, most victims are unaware they are being filmed, making it extremely difficult to protect their rights.

Beijing-based lawyer Li Yubin adds that these acts constitute multiple offenses, but prosecution is challenging when servers are located abroad and the victims are Chinese citizens.

Hua Yawei, a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, argues that existing laws regarding "dissemination of obscene content" and "infringement of personal information" do not adequately address the severity of covert filming. This creates a loophole for criminals. He proposes adding the offense of "invasion of privacy" to the Criminal Code.

Meanwhile, a Telegram representative told Reuters that the platform prohibits the distribution of non-consensual explicit content and removes over one million pieces of harmful content daily. However, these covert filming groups continue to operate openly, simply changing names and creating new links when reported.

In South Korea, the Nth Room case sparked widespread outrage and prompted judicial reform. The two masterminds received sentences of 42 and 34 years, respectively. While the MaskPark case has shocked the Chinese public, no authorities have yet spoken out or taken action.

Many Chinese women say they assume "there are cameras everywhere." Comedian Huang Yijin stated, "I assume there are cameras in every hotel room. If my privacy is going to be violated, I just hope they capture my best side."

But not everyone can find such solace. For women like Mie and Ding, the consequences extend beyond privacy violation to emotional distress and a loss of trust in relationships.

"I felt like the whole world was watching me, but I couldn't do anything about it," Ding sighed.

Bao Nhien (Via Zaobao/Southern Metropolis Daily)