Ban sale of spy cameras in Singapore to stamp out voyeurism

It is deeply disconcerting to read yet again about attempts at voyeurism in our universities. 

The latest case involved the alleged brazen planting of hidden cameras disguised as smoke detectors in a female toilet at the National University of Singapore.

We should be reminded that two years ago, a pinhole camera hidden in a plastic hook was discovered at the Nanyang Technological University.

It is high time for a ban on the sale of spy cameras online and in places such as electronics mall Sim Lim Square.

With universities tightening security measures since high-profile voyeurism acts surfaced, perpetrators are now resorting to spycam technology.

In South Korea, for instance, voyeurism has become rampant because the authorities have been slow to crack down on the sale of spy cameras.

In 2018, Seoul pledged to inspect all public toilets daily to ensure that there are no hidden cameras.

Based on a survey of 2,000 victims conducted in October last year by the Korean Women’s Development Institute, a think-tank, almost one in four women who had been harassed or secretly filmed had thought about suicide.

There is no excuse for the authorities in Singapore not to ban and regulate the sale of spycams, which are becoming ever tinier and more sophisticated to detect. 

It would be a failure of our policing, and our society at large, if we were to end up following South Korea’s path.

The ban must start now. 

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