In recent years, there have been many cases of hidden cameras at hotels and inns to photograph and video guests in the privacy of their room and/or bathroom.
May 17, more than 60 fine art and design students from Yichun University in Jiangxi province, traveled to sketch and paint. They stayed at Huayi hotel in Huangshan Yixian of Anhui province.
Qianqian, one of the fine art and design students, was taking a bath the evening of May 20 and found a candid camera device in the toilet of her room.
She found candid camera equipment hidden in the tank of the squat toilet with the lens facing towards the bath area.
Qianqian immediately warned her classmates. As they further investigated on their own, they found that between their 4 rooms there were 3 hidden cameras.
The girls immediately called the police. The police searched the rest of the hotel rooms and found unused pinhole cameras. The police took the person responsible for the cameras back to the police station with them that evening.
On May 23, the Yixian Public Security Bureau issued a public security notice.
“The hidden photography devices were placed by Mr. Zhu, the owner of the hotel. Police detained him on May 21 and ordered him to remove devices.”
On May 23, Mr. Zhu’s investigation continued to press criminal charges. At present, none of the photos have been released and the investigation continues.
In recent years, there have been many cases of hidden cameras in hotels, motels, and homestays. After investigation, it was found that strictly controlled micro cameras can easily be purchased. Illegal websites have popped up encouraging the sharing and selling of these photos and videos.
According to the law, surveillance video devices are specially controlled by the state. Manufacturing and selling surveillance video devices are illegal ACTS.
On many shopping platforms, searches for “tiny cameras” turn up with lists of products receiving high volumes of sales.
The cameras on the market are small and hidden, easy to install and operate, and can even be viewed remotely when connected to WIFI and bundled with various APPs.
These hidden cameras can be installed in many places that you wouldn’t even imagine: air-conditioners, potted plants, sofa seats, plugs, routers and so on. These hidden cameras are even built customizable for any location including; smoke alarms, toilet cleaners, digital clocks etc.
Watch out for things that can easily be disguised as cameras:
Many of these illegal websites show that most of these videos are taken in paid rooms such as hotels, hostels, homestays, etc. and public restrooms. The pictures are quite clear to see details of the room and even facial details of those persons in the videos and photos.
A reporter contacted one of the websites via their “Advertising Contact”. According to them, the videos and pictures including watermark, definition, shooting time range from 2-5rmb.
“This is the market price. There are a lot of people who want to buy a movie, so they can sell it to multiple buyers. If they sell it 100 times, it will cost 200 to 500rmb.”
In various cases in past years, many hotels deny involvement and claim they “do not know who installed it” making it hard to recover footage, charge any and all parties involved and prevent distribution.
The Public Security Department reminds hotel guests that after checking into the room, to carefully check around to protect yourself.
These cameras are hidden and very small, how are we able to find them to protect ourselves?
You can use the mobile phone to basic check the room.
Go around the room and remember not to turn on the lights.
P.S. It only works with infrared pinhole cameras.