China Tests Ad-Watching Toilet Paper Dispensers In Public Restrooms

Chinese public restrooms are trialing dispensers that require users to watch advertisements before receiving toilet paper. The machines display QR codes that connect to smartphones, triggering brief video ads before releasing controlled amounts of paper. Users can bypass the ads by paying 0.5 renminbi, (approximately 7 US cents). Municipal officials describe the program as waste reduction efforts, citing documented cases of people taking large amounts of free paper from high-traffic facilities. The system evolved from 2017 facial recognition dispensers at Beijing’s Temple of Heaven park, which limited paper access to once every nine minutes. Public reaction has been largely negative. (Story URL)

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