Spy in the dollhouse: Mainland shopper's chilling discovery of hidden camera in a doll

In a disturbing find that raises privacy concerns, a woman in Guangxi discovered a hidden camera inside the eye of a doll she purchased online.

According to local media reports on Sunday(Nov 16), a woman surnamed Leung purchased 20 dolls online on November 3.

Upon inspection, she found a suspected miniature camera embedded in the eye of one doll.

When Leung contacted the seller for an explanation, the seller attributed the incident to "mixed shipments" and "employee oversight," admitting that dolls equipped with cameras were indeed part of their inventory.

In response to media inquiry, the e-commerce platform confirmed that all related products have been removed on Monday (Nov 17).

The seller's profile has since become unsearchable, and all related items have been delisted.

As further details of the handling of the incident are yet to be disclosed, Leung stated she would continue to monitor follow-up investigations to safeguard her consumer rights.

Following the incident, a mainland lawyer, surnamed Du,  noted that while cameras are tools, concealed devices in dolls require examination of their intended use.

 "If the video usage leads to illegal activities constituting infringement, the responsible parties must bear corresponding legal liability," he explained.

Another mainland lawyer, Chan,  highlighted consumers' right to know whether products contain recording devices or recording.

Chan emphasized that if the camera does capture video, it could constitute an infringement of privacy, allowing consumers to pursue legal action and lodge complaints with the shopping platform for resolution.

The investigation is ongoing.