Moviegoers in China apparently aren't the only ones doing the watching in theaters.
Night vision security cameras are the standard in cinemas across the nation, according to a viral post that raised debate about privacy on Chinese social media Monday.
The post by Sina Weibo user "Caotujun" described the cameras as an "open secret" in the movie industry.
Others soon uploaded photos to the thread showing infrared cameras in different movie theaters.
"Don't do anything inappropriate in cinemas," a user wrote along with an uploaded photo, "night vision cameras, guys. Clear as day."
A number of movie theater chains in nations such as the UK and Malaysia have installed similar infrared camera systems to combat piracy.
However, many commented that they were "caught off guard" by the practice, while some expressed outrage at what they called an invasion of privacy and unnecessary surveillance.
But those in the industry insisted that the cameras are not watching you while you're watching movies.
"The cameras … are not pointing at the audience," said a movie theater manager in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province.
"They are for monitoring the screen and security purposes only," he said.
