The student, identified only as Li, went to a police station in Beijing on July 26, seeking help after fleeing from her home in another province. Li, a second-year university student, revealed that her parents had installed a camera to monitor her every move.They reportedly became violent, hitting her and throwing her phone on the floor whenever she made mistakes.
Li explained that this extreme parenting style had caused her significant trauma and was driving her to seek independence. She planned to find part-time work in Beijing to support herself and escape her controlling parents.
Concerned that her parents might report her missing and cause a commotion, Li went to the police to inform them of her situation and ensure her safety. Police officer Zhang Chuanbin reassured her, stating that her parents’ approach was an inappropriate way to show care. Zhang contacted Li’s parents and advised them to respect their adult child’s need for personal space.
Following this intervention, Li’s parents agreed to remove the surveillance camera, and she subsequently returned home. However, the incident has sparked widespread condemnation online, with many criticising the invasion of privacy.
“So horrible. Having no private space at all despite being 20,” commented one user on Weibo.
“Children are independent individuals, not parents’ belongings – some Chinese parents should keep this in mind,” said another.
“Even a prison respects people’s privacy more than this,” another person remarked.
“She was brave to fight back, and wise to go to the police to avoid trouble,” a fourth user noted.
This case is not isolated. In June, a mother in Jiangsu province went viral after praising a surveillance camera installed in her son’s bedroom for “accompanying” him during his studies. The camera was reportedly intended to improve his academic performance.
In 2019, a similar situation arose when a 14-year-old boy in Jiangsu reported his father to the police over plans to install a camera in his room. The father argued the camera was to prevent gaming addiction while he and his wife were at work, leading to a heated debate about privacy.
China’s Minor Protection Law prohibits the opening of minors’ letters, diaries, and online communications without emergency justification, but does not specifically address the use of surveillance cameras. Despite this, many Chinese parents continue to install cameras in their children’s bedrooms, according to SCMP.
#Chinese #parents #install #spy #camera #20yearold #daughters #bedroom #spark #outcry #social #media #Times #India