An underground trade in secretly filmed images and videos of women and girls is flourishing across China, with authorities accused of failing to act despite clear evidence of widespread abuse.
Investigations show that women and girls are being filmed without their consent in public toilets, school bathrooms, changing rooms and even inside their homes. The footage is shared and sold in large anonymous chat groups on Telegram, some with up to 100,000 members drawn from across the country.
In many of these groups, users post explicit images of women they describe as their wives, girlfriends, ex-partners, relatives or acquaintances. Others trade secretly recorded footage of strangers, often captured using hidden cameras. The practice is known in Chinese as toupai chumai, loosely translated as “secret filming betrayal”.
The scale of the trade has shocked activists. Despite China’s reputation for tight online surveillance, there has been no public condemnation from authorities and no announced investigations, even after multiple groups were exposed BBC reported. Instead, campaigners say officials have focused on censoring discussion of the issue, blocking search terms and silencing those who attempt to warn women or demand action.
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Some groups go further, openly discussing how to install hidden cameras in schools. In one Telegram channel with more than 65,000 members, users exchanged tips on gaining access to elementary school bathrooms and avoiding security checks.
The trade thrives due to the availability of miniature cameras, the anonymity provided by Telegram and the ease of payment through Chinese digital platforms. While the sale and use of hidden cameras is illegal in China, small pinhole cameras are openly advertised on domestic video apps, often using sexualised imagery to market the devices.
Access to private Telegram groups is frequently sold using Alipay, WeChat Pay or cryptocurrency. One group offered more than 40,000 secretly filmed videos for a small membership fee. Payment platforms say they prohibit illegal transactions, but critics argue enforcement is weak.
Globally, countries have moved to tackle non-consensual sharing of intimate images, which the United Nations classifies as a form of digital violence against women. In South Korea, a similar Telegram-based abuse network triggered mass protests, tougher laws and long prison sentences. In the United States, new legislation now criminalises the sharing of intimate images without consent.
China, by contrast, has taken little visible action. Under current law, secretly filming someone without consent is not itself a criminal offence unless the content is sold for profit, leaving victims with limited legal protection.
Public anger briefly erupted last year after a woman exposed a Telegram forum known as MaskPark, where explicit images of women were shared by current and former partners. Despite widespread outrage on social media, the group and others like it continued to operate.
Legal experts say the lack of enforcement is not due to technical limitations. China’s digital payment systems require real-name registration, and police units are embedded within major technology firms. Human rights advocates argue that if the government treated the issue as a priority, those involved could be identified.
Instead, women who speak out say they face censorship, harassment and threats. Activists attempting to expose the networks report having their online accounts muted or suspended, while some have received messages threatening to leak their personal information.
Gender studies scholars warn that the silence reflects a broader hostility toward feminist activism in China, where calls for women’s rights are increasingly framed as disruptive. As a result, an industry built on the exploitation of women and girls continues to operate in plain sight.
For those trying to stop it, the risks are high. But many say they refuse to give up.
“Other people haven’t given up,” one activist said. “So neither should I.”
