Charging to use public restrooms isn’t new in China or other parts of the world but having to watch an advertisement before being granted access to toilet paper is. Now, some social media users are criticizing the concept as “dystopian.”
A video shared by China Insider revealed some people are forced to scan a QR code in order to receive a few squares of tissue.
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Pay to wipe
If people using the restroom don’t want to watch the ad, they can expect to reportedly pay around 7 cents to skip them.
Officials in China claim the practice reduces waste and helps deter toilet paper thieves.
Social media users raise concerns
But that’s not stopping people from criticizing the tactic. Some social media users are concerned about what happens if their phone runs out of juice or if they aren’t carrying any change. Those answers are unclear. Others have raised sanitation concerns.
Previous restrictions on toilet paper
China has previously moved to reduce the use of toilet paper in public restrooms.
In 2017, public restrooms at the Temple of Heaven park in Beijing were equipped with facial recognition technology on toilet paper dispensers to combat mass theft of toilet paper, according to the British news site Metro.
Officials reported that many visitors to the park would stuff toilet paper in their bags. The dispensers only allowed for tissue measuring nearly 24 inches and would dispense no more for nine minutes, as reported by Metro.
Park officials later acknowledged that those with a bathroom emergency would need to request extra toilet paper from an employee, if the amount dispensed wasn’t enough.
