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A private Telegram channel called “Mask Park Treehole Forum” became the centre of controversy after intimate photos and videos of several Chinese women were leaked there.
The images of several Chinese women, including minors, were leaked on a private Telegram channel. (AI-Generated Image)
A private Telegram channel in the Chinese language, with more than 100,000 subscribers, has sparked a public outcry over women’s safety after it was revealed that the private pictures of countless Chinese women, including minors and relatives of the perpetrators, were leaked there.
The channel was exposed last month by an anonymous stranger, identified as Mrs D, who learned that her former boyfriend had leaked her intimate photos and videos on the channel. She also provided screenshots showing many women being insulted in explicit ways in the private channel, named as “Mask Park Treehole Forum”.
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“I can’t believe how disgusting all this is. It’s like they’re verbally raping (women)… And they’re even fantasising about their family members,” she told CNN, revealing that she was tipped off by a stranger who had obtained several photos and videos of her, along with her social media information.
D was informed by the messenger that her ex-boyfriend had invited others to “exchange” secretly filmed videos of their ex-girlfriends. When she confronted her ex, he said he had only shared the explicit material with three people – though she suspects the number is higher.
“When it first happened, I had a mix of feelings,” she said. “It was so ridiculous … and I was really angry and sad.”
Chinese Women Demand Action
According to CNN, Mask Park is one of many similar groups on Telegram, where users shared explicit footage and photos of women, including their partners, as well as deepfake images from the social media accounts of female friends and colleagues. These pictures have been used to blackmail and encourage others to insult the women using degrading language.
Chinese women from all walks of life, including lawyers and students, have urged authorities to take action, stressing that Mask Park is just a small part of a larger danger that is affecting women. After the public outcry, the channel was closed, but that has not deterred women from working together to investigate the matter.
Several women reported being shocked and panicked by the revelations that their private images could be leaked on Telegram. “I’ve never seen such a large-scale collective crime before,” said Franny, a lawyer from Shenzhen who has been investigating the network.
Zhang, a criminal defence lawyer from Beijing, warned that “closing just one Mask Park doesn’t mean the perpetrators will stop there”, highlighting that the number of perpetrators of such acts may be much higher.
The case has drawn parallels to a separate South Korean case involving a Telegram channel known as the “Nth Room,” an online sexual blackmail ring that targeted dozens of minors and young women. The accused were imprisoned and South Korea passed legal reforms with harsher punishments for sex crimes.
Chinese Censorship Obstructing Justice
However, as the women demand justice, Chinese authorities have reportedly taken down D’s post, which had over 40,000 likes and 20,000 reposts, along with posts of other campaigners and redirected searches for “Mask Park” away from the sex exploitation scandal.
Some online investigators alleged that they have received anonymous threats of doxxing and retribution if they continue digging into the Mask Park case, with one such email reviewed by CNN. Notably, large-scale protests are heavily restricted in China and carry severe repercussions.
China’s ruling Communist Party has cracked down hard on people advocating for women’s rights. Chinese people remain largely conservative, particularly in the cases of divorce and domestic violence, which are not considered a priority by the police.
For example, a 24-year-old woman in China had alleged that her ex-husband had leaked nudes from her pregnancy to others on WeChat, a popular messaging app in China. She said police had rejected her accusations twice for lacking evidence, and only opened a case when her video amassed popularity.
Women have complained that the Chinese police are slow to investigate matters where explicit images are shared on platforms that are legal to access in China. It’s very unlikely that Chinese police would open a criminal case without solid evidence, according to lawyers.
However, Chinese authorities have previously taken action against domestic incidents of secret filming. For example, in March 2022, the Ministry of Public Security arrested more than 860 suspects and seized 30,000 illegally operated webcams linked to an underground network. However, such legal punishments are very rare and lenient and often does not to criminal charges.
About the Author
Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international…Read More
Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international… Read More
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Beijing, China
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