In a shocking incident, a pinhole camera has been found inside a women's fitting room at a popular Japanese garment store in southern China's Shenzhen city, sparking public concerns over the privacy and safety of the female customers.
The camera was discovered when a customer using the changing room in Uniqlo at the Xinghe iCO Longhua shopping centre in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, noticed a black spot the size of a sesame seed above a mirror, state-run Global Times reported on Wednesday.
"I stood on a stool and poked it, and it felt soft," the woman said.
She then saw a "button" beneath the "black spot", which felt warm.
"There was no visible wire attached to the button, but why would it be hot?"
"I felt embarrassed knowing that I had been filmed. I haven't slept well for the past two days," she said.
The woman then asked a shop assistant and the store manager, and together they prised a store unit used to hide wires off the wall and found a hidden camera, memory card and a charger.
Luo Zhangnian, the store manager, told the daily that that police officers are still investigating the case, and it is not known who put the camera.
"Uniqlo has always strictly abided by the laws and regulations of the country, and we are fully cooperating with public security organs," Uniqlo told the paper.
"The camera was attached with double-sided tape. The camera's lens looked like a button, and was connected to a wire. It was still recording after being pulled down," Zhong said.
Staff said the fitting rooms were checked every morning before the store opened and again every time after customers used them, but only to see whether any belongings had been left behind.
Shenzhen police said the investigation was continuing.
Chinese netizens showed concern over the privacy of female customers.
Some netizens called for controlling the use of pinhole cameras over increasing reports of them being secretly installed in public places like apparel stores and hotels.
"Pinhole cameras should be classified as a controlled item. It is alarming that anyone can just buy one and put it in the toilet and dressing room," a netizen said on Sina Weibo.
It is not the first time Uniqlo's fitting room got involved in scandals in China. In 2015, a video that shows a young couple in a compromising position went viral.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
