After it was revealed that some cinemas have installed night vision cameras inside the theaters to enable them to "spy" on patrons, questions were raised over whether this constitutes an invasion of privacy.
Movie theater insiders revealed that night vision cameras have been installed in screening rooms, which means that the audience can be clearly seen by monitors, despite the darkness during the movie. The public has expressed their shock online, the Beijing Youth Daily reported.
Some netizens said they feel embarrassed because they know they behaved badly during movie screenings - bringing their own noisy or smelly food inside, like duck necks or sunflower seeds, or using the opportunity of the darkened room for intimate moments with their partners.
Some shrugged off the move, arguing that cinemas are public arenas. Others said that the cinemas are obligated to inform customers when they might be unknowingly subject to surveillance.
An employee from a cinema from the UME chain, the UME Huaxing International Cinema, was quoted in the report as saying that night vision cameras are installed as standard in screening rooms, but they are usually pointed in certain areas like projection screens, so the staff can conveniently monitor if there are any problems with the film's projection.
Although the surveillance equipment also covers the auditorium, it is for the purpose of monitoring emergencies, the employee said. One employee at another cinema, surnamed Zhou, was quoted saying that only broader physical movements can be made out through night vision cameras, not facial expressions.
No recordings from screening halls can be released, as these are only available to security staff and projectionists, Zhou said.
The monitoring equipment also helps in the fight against movie piracy, as the cameras can reveal illegal recording, since films projected in movie theaters have their own key codes, machine codes and copyright.
