A wave of outrage is sweeping across online platforms in China following reports of sexually exploitative photos and videos of women being widely shared in encrypted Telegram chat groups with some having hundreds of thousands of users. These images and clips have reportedly been captured secretly in both private and public spaces.According to a report by news agency Reuters, the revelations – initially reported by Chinese state media – suggest that a Chinese-language Telegram forum named “MaskPark tree hole forum” distributed images of women secretly filmed or photographed in locations including public toilets. This particular group amassed over 100,000 anonymous members in China and overseas.The report detailed that some users posted private images of their current or ex-girlfriends and female family members. Disturbingly, footage of women secretly filmed using pinhole cameras in public spaces was allegedly being sold within these chat groups. Users typically rely on VPN software to access Telegram, which is blocked in the country. The Southern Daily report also revealed the existence of other Telegram sub-forums targeting Chinese-speaking users with pornographic content, some boasting up to 900,000 members.
How Chinese people reacted to leaked private photos and videos
The revelations quickly gained traction on Chinese microblogging platform Weibo, with related hashtags garnering over 270 million views on Tuesday (July 26). One user commented, “It’s truly frightening how secret filming has infiltrated everyday life.”A female victim, who remained anonymous, recounted her harrowing experience to the newspaper: “My ex-boyfriend secretly took photos of me during sex, posted my private photos to the group without my permission and publicised my social media accounts.”
What Telegram has to say
Telegram has said that “the sharing of non-consensual pornography is explicitly forbidden by Telegram’s terms of service and is removed whenever discovered.” A spokesperson added that moderators “proactively monitor public parts of the platform and accept reports in order to remove millions of pieces of harmful content each day.” The main MaskPark forum has since been taken down, though some smaller sub-forums reportedly remain active.
