China encounters public outcry due to a Telegram group sharing explicit videos of unlawful surveillance
In China, a controversial Telegram group known as the "MaskPark tree hole forum" has come under scrutiny for sharing sexually exploitative images and videos of Chinese women. The group, which is encrypted and hosted overseas, has over 100,000 anonymous users, all of whom are men.
Despite China's strict internet censorship, accessing the Telegram platform within the country requires a VPN due to it being blocked by the Chinese government.
The scale of the image sharing in the "MaskPark tree hole forum" has shocked many in China, given the country's strict laws and heavy internet censorship. Secret filming and photography without consent generally incur relatively light penalties, typically a fine of up to 500 yuan (about US$69.67) and administrative detention for up to 10 days, even if the recordings involve private body parts or intimate situations.
However, if the secret filming or photography involves producing, selling, or disseminating obscene materials for profit, the penalties are significantly harsher. Making over 5,000 yuan profit from such material escalates the offense to spreading obscene materials for profit. When the amount exceeds 125,000 yuan, it is considered “especially serious,” exposing perpetrators to potential prison sentences of up to 10 years or life imprisonment.
There are no specific regulations targeting the sharing or dissemination of intimate images of adult women, which complicates prosecution unless the material qualifies as obscene or commercialized. Secret filming with specialized equipment without consent is also punishable under laws against illegal use of eavesdropping devices.
Some videos were reportedly secretly recorded with pinhole cameras in public spaces and were being sold in the chat groups. Some users shared private images of their current or ex-girlfriends, female family members, including mothers and daughters, without their consent.
The Chinese police find it challenging to punish offenders over the "MaskPark tree hole forum" due to the platform's encryption and its overseas hosting. Criminal cases require a high evidence threshold, making it difficult to prosecute the dissemination of intimate images due to insufficient evidence.
Meanwhile, in a separate development, Gisele Pelicot's ex-husband was found guilty of all charges in a mass-rape trial in France, as reported separately in another article. The report does not mention any connection between the "MaskPark tree hole forum" and the Gisele Pelicot's ex-husband's trial in France.
Activists and legal experts in China have criticized the lenient penalties for secret filming and called for stronger criminalization of all forms of non-consensual recording and image dissemination. These laws reflect growing concern over voyeurism and intimate image abuse in the country.
- The Chinese government has expressed concern over the "MaskPark tree hole forum," a Telegram group known for sharing sexually exploitative images, due to its encrypted nature and overseas hosting, making it challenging for police to prosecute offenders.
- Despite the country's strict internet censorship and laws against secret filming and photography, there are no specific regulations targeting the sharing or dissemination of intimate images of adult women, which complicates prosecution.
- As technology advances, there is growing pressure on the Chinese government to strengthen criminalization of non-consensual recording and image dissemination, with media outlets reporting on the lenient penalties and calling for stricter laws in general-news and crime-and-justice sectors.
