Guangdong becomes first province to mandate hotel responsibility against hidden surveillance devices
CHINA / SOCIETY
Guangdong becomes first province to mandate hotel responsibility against hidden surveillance devices
Published: Jan 16, 2025 05:20 PM
A hidden camera challenge room decorated as a hotel guest room in a cyber safety exhibition in Zhengzhou, Central China's Henan Province on August 21, 2023. Visitors can challenge themselves to identify hidden cameras from the room. File photo: VCG

A hidden camera challenge room decorated as a hotel guest room in a cyber safety exhibition in Zhengzhou, Central China's Henan Province on August 21, 2023. Visitors can challenge themselves to identify hidden cameras from the room. File photo: VCG


South China's Guangdong Province has released a regulation, demanding that hotels must ensure that guest rooms are free of peeping devices, hidden cameras, or recording equipment. It has become the first province to mandate such operator responsibilities.

According to Article 9 of the Regulation on Security Management of the Hotel Industry in Guangdong Province, hotels and their staff must safeguard guest information and are prohibited from disclosing surveillance footage. Hotels must also ensure that no such devices are present in guest rooms. 

The regulation will take effect on February 1. Industry associations and hotels have begun taking steps to ensure effective implementation of the new regulation.

Multiple hotels have intensified routine inspections to comply with the regulation. Hotel staff are now required to conduct checks during cleaning and pre-check-in inspections. They are equipped with camera detectors for the work and have undergone relevant training, according to thepapers.cn. 

Efforts are also underway to combat the illicit production and sale of creepshot devices, thepaper.cn reported.

The Supreme People's Court on December 11 publicized four typical cases of illegal production, sale, and use of eavesdropping and surveillance equipment, underscoring the importance of a comprehensive and systematic crackdown on this illicit industry. 

Global Times


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