Chinese firm faces backlash for taking and sharing photos of workers in toilets

The photos were later taken down after a few hours because “they do not look good,” the company said. The practice, which began months ago, only recently surfaced online, triggering widespread criticism.

Lawyer Zhu Xue from Celue Law Firm told Chinese media outlet Jimu News that the company’s actions violated employees’ privacy rights.

“The companies should not record and manage its employees’ laziness but not illegal behaviour with illegitimate methods,” Zhu said.

Online commentators also condemned the act. One person remarked, “The first thing that the company thought of was that the photos did not look good rather than that they were illegal, evidence that the company lacked proper legal education.” Another questioned, “Are they employees or slaves?”

However, this incident is not the first time Chinese companies have been criticized for invasive employee monitoring.

In November 2021, major electronics retailer GOME admitted to monitoring its employees’ internet use, punishing 11 workers for playing games, listening to music, and chatting online while connected to the company’s WiFi. A judge at Beijing Daxing Court later suggested the company may have violated privacy laws.

In 2022, Shenzhen-based firm Sangfor Technologies faced backlash after promoting a system that could track how often employees visited job-seeking websites or sent resumes, allegedly detecting their “intention to resign.”