Premier orders crackdown on hidden-camera crimes after clinic scandal

Taipei, May 14 (CNA) Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) on Thursday instructed government agencies to crack down on voyeurism crimes following alleged privacy violations involving several cosmetic clinic chains across Taiwan.

Cho issued the directive during a weekly Cabinet meeting, ordering the ministries of health, sports, transportation and economic affairs to inspect cosmetic clinics, beauty salons, fitness centers and hotels to identify potential hidden-camera crimes, Cabinet spokesperson Michelle Lee (李慧芝) told a news conference.

"Any act of voyeurism or infringement of personal privacy must not be tolerated," Cho was quoted as saying.

Cho also asked local governments to assist with the inspections.

He said authorities are studying whether buyers of covert recording devices should be required to register their real identities, and whether online sales of such devices should be more tightly regulated.

Authorities are also discussing ways to strengthen oversight of contractors responsible for installing such equipment, Cho said.

Taiwan has been rocked by a series of alleged voyeurism cases since earlier this month, when it was discovered that at least 18 branches of the Airlee cosmetic clinic chain had allegedly installed pinhole cameras disguised as smoke detectors in treatment rooms.

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Three suspects, including Airlee Chairman Chang Ju-shan (常如山), have been detained and held incommunicado on suspicion of privacy-related offenses and violations of the Child and Youth Sexual Exploitation Prevention Act, after customers were allegedly filmed without their consent.

Prosecutors said they found footage violating customers' sexual privacy, including footage involving apparent minors, after recovering video files from the chain's hard drives.

Subsequent nationwide inspections of cosmetic clinics uncovered hidden cameras at at least three additional clinic chains and independent facilities.

Cho on Thursday also urged investigators to promptly determine whether any footage seized from the clinics had been leaked in order to ease public concerns.