Taipei is moving to put real penalties behind hidden-camera rules, a win for patients and customers but a new burden on businesses that run clinics, gyms, and other private spaces.

• A city council committee gave its first reading to a bill making building and venue managers legally responsible for stopping hidden filming.
• Managers would have to run checks for hidden cameras and report anything found to police right away so evidence is preserved.
• Punishment would be heavier when the manager is the one doing the filming — the pattern in the cosmetic-clinic case that broke in May.
• Existing city rules carry no penalties at all, so they only work on people who were never going to offend.
• One proposal to require ID when buying cameras was pushed back on, since people can just order online or from another city.

Outlook: The committee cut a clause routing cases through the police first, and will take up the fines and remaining sections at its next meeting.