A viral video showing Chinese public restrooms requiring users to watch an advertisement before receiving toilet paper has sparked widespread criticism on social media.
The footage, shared by the Instagram account China Insider, shows dispensers that force people to scan a QR code, play a short commercial and only then release a limited number of sheets.
Local authorities reportedly defended the initiative as a measure to curb waste, but online reactions were swift and scathing. On Reddit’s r/Anticonsumption forum, one user said they would “punch and disassemble those machines,” while another argued the system was “better than nothing” given that many Chinese public restrooms often lack toilet paper altogether.
The practice is not entirely new: Reddit users noted similar machines were reported four years ago on r/mildlyinfuriating, requiring viewers to endure a 30-second ad before receiving supplies.
Critics described the approach as invasive, unnecessary and emblematic of aggressive commercial surveillance.
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