Hilefit Under Fire After Members Say They Were Livestreamed Without Consent

Several members of Hilefit, one of China's largest fitness chains, have accused gym staff of filming and livestreaming them without consent, sparking an online debate over privacy protection in commercial fitness spaces.

The issue gained attention after a user posted on lifestyle platform Xiaohongshu, alleging she was unknowingly livestreamed during a group workout at a Hilefit gym in Suzhou. According to the post, no prior notice or authorization was given.

"I was in the middle of a workout, everything felt normal, and only later did I realize I had been livestreamed," she wrote, describing the experience as deeply uncomfortable.

Similar complaints soon appeared on the consumer platform Black Cat Complaint. Users there accused multiple Hilefit branches of posting workout videos featuring members without blurring faces or bodies. Some complainants said the camera angles appeared to deliberately focus on trainees wearing tight yoga pants, with certain shots zooming in on specific body parts, raising concerns over inappropriate filming and possible infringements of portrait and privacy rights.

In response, Hilefit told Sina Tech that it takes the matter "very seriously" and had launched an internal investigation as soon as the reports emerged. The company said it strictly prohibits filming identifiable facial features or deliberately magnifying specific body parts, and emphasized that any public content involving members must be released only after clear and explicit authorization has been obtained.

Preliminary findings, Hilefit said, suggest the incidents were isolated cases caused by individual store employees failing to follow livestreaming procedures, rather than a brand-wide practice. The company added that it has begun a nationwide review of livestreaming practices across all locations, including mandatory authorization checks before livestreaming and stricter real-time controls over camera content during broadcasts.

Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Hangzhou, Hilefit operates more than 2,000 gyms nationwide and has over 14 million registered users as of July 2025.