Residents in the Guangming District of Shenzhen have reported that street grid workers (community workers) knocked on doors after 11 p.m. to check for compliance with fire regulations. When refused entry, they still went into bedrooms and bathrooms to take photos, marking their third visit within a week. Residents believe that this action not only disturbs them but also violates their privacy. Chinese media commentary points out that as non-law enforcement personnel, the grid workers unlawfully entered residents’ homes without permission and took photos everywhere, potentially infringing on citizens’ rights to housing and privacy.
Recently, a resident of Matian Street in the Guangming District of Shenzhen posted on a local forum, stating that grid workers knocked on their door after 11 p.m. claiming to inspect fire safety. “Because my child had school the next day, we clearly refused to open the door to prevent waking the child up,” the resident said. Despite the refusal, the grid workers entered the rooms and took photos in areas such as the bedroom and bathroom.
“At that time, everyone in the house was wearing pajamas, and this was already the third fire safety check that week,” the resident said, believing that this not only disturbed them but also invaded residents’ privacy.
According to Southern Metropolis Daily, the street office involved responded that the recent concentrated door-to-door visits by the grid workers were part of an initiative, but their actions of “forced entry” and “taking photos everywhere” have crossed the line.
In response to the incident, a commentary in Xinjing Daily stated that the inviolability of citizens’ residences is clearly stipulated in the constitution. As the grid workers are not law enforcement personnel and did not have permission, their forced entry into residents’ homes infringed on citizens’ housing rights. Taking photos everywhere in the house without residents’ consent also violated citizens’ privacy rights, which are significant matters.
Personal information protection laws require obtaining consent before collecting personal information. Civil law explicitly states that “privacy pertains to an individual’s private life peace and the private spaces, activities, and information they are unwilling to disclose to others.”
Therefore, regardless of being a grid worker or not, no one without law enforcement authority can forcibly enter residents’ homes. Even in the case of law enforcement officers entering a residence, they must obtain written authorization beforehand. Moreover, the late-night visits and entry by grid workers disrupt residents’ rest and potentially infringe on their rights to peace and rest.
The actions of grid workers in forcibly entering homes and taking photos everywhere have crossed several red lines and had a severe impact. Regulating the behavior of grid workers during home visits should adhere to relevant legal provisions as red lines. Any behavior that crosses these lines, no matter how well-intentioned, must be strictly prohibited.