[2] Chen Feiyu's intimate photos exposed; celebrities also have privacy rights

[4] Compiled from: Red Star News
 
Case review
[4] On February 13, blogger "Super Paparazzi Yang Yang" released a set of photos allegedly showing Chen Feiyu in intimate situations, sparking heated online discussion. Some netizens claimed that "Yilin Ya" was an early fan of Chen Feiyu, and the photos exposed online were taken in 2021. Chen Feiyu was once considered by the industry to have been born with a silver spoon, as his father is the renowned director Chen Kaige and his mother is the famous actress Chen Hong.

 
 

[5] After the incident, Chen Feiyu issued a statement through his studio, stating: "The photos circulating online not only involve Mr. Chen Feiyu's privacy but also the privacy of Ms. Hu, who appears in the photos. The widespread dissemination of these private photos has caused immense harm to both parties. We earnestly request that netizens immediately stop spreading the related information."
 
On March 14, the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau disclosed that a 31-year-old man surnamed Deng from Beijing, along with accomplices, disseminated personal information of a person surnamed Chen via information networks in Tongzhou District, Beijing, and was given a five-day administrative detention penalty. Additionally, four others—Zhang, Ding, Xu, and Duan—were also given administrative detention penalties.
 
 
《 [1] The People's Republic of China Public Security Administration Punishments Law
Article 42 
Anyone who commits any of the following acts shall be detained for up to five days or fined up to 500 yuan; if the circumstances are serious, they shall be detained for between five and ten days and may also be fined up to 500 yuan:
……
(6) Peeping, secretly photographing, eavesdropping, or disseminating others' private information.
 
 
[1] The author's perspective
Keen-eyed netizens noticed that Article 42, Item (6) of the Public Security Administration Punishments Law refers to "peeping, secretly photographing, eavesdropping, or disseminating others' private information," meaning that what Deng exposed was factual, not fabricated fake news. Although Chen Feiyu is a public figure and his right to privacy is somewhat limited, it does not mean that celebrities have no privacy. In this case, the act of secretly obtaining and publishing such intimate photos without the consent of the parties involved has clearly infringed on Chen Feiyu's privacy rights as an ordinary member of the public. Moreover, it thrust Chen Feiyu and Ms. Hu into the spotlight, attracting a crowd of onlookers and disrupting Chen Feiyu's normal life.
 
We often say that the internet is not a lawless place, but "paparazzi" always disregard the law for certain interests. For acts that infringe on others' privacy and reputation rights through the internet, administrative authorities will consider multiple factors such as the perpetrator's subjective malice, the severity of the act, the extent of harm caused, and the social impact when determining corresponding penalties. This also demonstrates that the law will not let any wrongdoer off the hook, and anyone who makes a mistake must pay the price.