The situation surrounding the incident where actor Jia Bing's private room was secretly filmed has taken a turn. What kind of bottom line are we actually trying to defend?

Summary of Key Points

Jia Bing was dining with an old comrade in a private room at a Sichuan restaurant in Chengdu when a known “brother” secretly recorded footage of him using profanity and smoking after drinking. The edited video, which removed the beginning and end, went viral on the internet, sparking heated discussions. However, public opinion quickly turned against the voyeur, with many criticizing him for using his friendship to gain attention. This incident highlights three profound transformations occurring in Chinese society: the acceptance that people do not need to act like “saints” in private settings; the questioning of the traditional notion of blurred lines between public and private life; and the growing awareness of personal boundaries in a society transitioning from one based on familiarity to one based on rules and laws.

1. The Voyeur: Not Only Immoral but Also Illegal

The voyeur’s actions are both morally reprehensible and legally actionable:

• Morally: Despite calling each other brothers and drinking together, he used the footage to gain followers (from a few dozen to nearly 30,000), turning their friendship into a business venture—a classic case of betrayal.
• Legally: The private room violated the Civil Code’s privacy rights (Article 1032); editing the video and using inflammatory headlines damaged Jia Bing’s reputation; according to the Public Security Administration Punishments Law (Article 42), voyeurism and the dissemination of private information can result in up to 10 days of detention and a fine.

Platforms should ban such accounts, and law enforcement must take action to prevent people from profiting off others’ privacy.

2. A Reversal in Public Opinion: The Public Finally Understands That “Private Spaces Are Not a Stage”

In the past, when private actions of public figures were exposed, they often faced moral condemnation (such as the Bi Fujian incident). This time, people supported Jia Bing for a simple reason:

• People need both a “public face” and a “private space.” Public places serve a purpose, but private gatherings allow them to relax and be themselves. Requiring perfection in both settings is unrealistic.

Jia Bing’s behavior was not illegal; using profanity and smoking in the private room did not harm anyone; it was a natural reaction in a trusted environment. Public tolerance does not mean approval of such behavior, but rather empathy for the need for a place where one can be unpretended.

This shows that society is beginning to respect the boundaries of personal space.

3. The Blurred Line Between Public and Private: A Deep-Rooted Problem

The Jia Bing incident highlights a persistent issue in Chinese society: the lack of clear distinctions between public and private realms:

• Origins: This stems from Fei Xiaotong’s concept of a “differential hierarchy,” where relationships are based on personal connections, creating a blurred boundary between self and others. Confucianism’s emphasis on personal virtue and governance is part of this tradition, which has led to confusion about the roles of public and private domains.
• Consequences: Individuals have no privacy; parents enter children’s rooms without permission, relatives take photos at gatherings, and no one addresses public issues for fear of being seen as meddling. Foucault noted that such surveillance leads to everyone becoming both observer and observed.

This incident raises the question: Why should private actions be judged in public?

4. The Transition from a Society Based on Familiarity to One Based on Rules

China is moving from a society based on personal relationships to one based on laws and rules, which emphasizes the importance of personal boundaries:

• Problems with familiar societies: The notion that “everyone belongs to the same group” leads to the arbitrary invasion of privacy (e.g., wedding disturbances, photos shared without consent).
• Requirements of a society based on rules: Interactions should follow established norms; your freedom cannot infringe on others’ freedoms. Private matters are personal decisions, while public affairs should be discussed collectively.

The voyeur, being a “familiar,” betrayed trust, which is even more disheartening than the behavior of paparazzi, highlighting the growing importance of clear boundaries.

5. The Lesson from the Incident: Protecting Others’ Privacy Means Protecting Your Own

The reversal in public opinion around the Jia Bing incident signals social progress:

• People no longer expect individuals to be perfect; they recognize that everyone has the right to relax.
• Modern concepts of clear boundaries between public and private life are becoming more prevalent.
• Respecting others’ privacy is essential for protecting one’s own freedom. If Jia Bing’s privacy was protected, your own could be next.

Hayek’s concept of a “protected private sphere,” Berlin’s idea of “negative liberty,” and Yan Fu’s translation of “group-rights boundaries” are becoming part of Chinese societal norms. The outdated notion that “everyone belongs to the same group” needs to give way to a modern understanding of personal space.

This story, seemingly about celebrity gossip, actually reflects the awakening of rights in Chinese society—we are learning to respect others’ private spaces as a means of protecting our own freedoms.