{"id":614,"date":"2017-11-08T06:01:55","date_gmt":"2017-11-07T22:01:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/2017\/11\/08\/chinas-answer-to-google-maps-shows-where-to-find-prostitute\/"},"modified":"2025-01-04T17:05:37","modified_gmt":"2025-01-04T09:05:37","slug":"chinas-answer-to-google-maps-shows-where-to-find-prostitute","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/chinas-answer-to-google-maps-shows-where-to-find-prostitute\/","title":{"rendered":"China\u2019s Answer To Google Maps Shows Where To Find Prostitute"},"content":{"rendered":"<blockquote><p>Chinese internet giant Baidu is assisting the authorities in an investigation after a state media expos\u00e9 alleged this week that its online mapping services were being used to provide information about venues where sexual services were available.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Chinese internet giant Baidu is assisting the authorities in an investigation after a state media expos\u00e9 alleged this week that its online mapping services were being used to provide information about venues where sexual <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/jobs\">services were available.<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><i><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.hiredchina.com\/FtGiBBRovCj7yq0gX1YUju-bYgVc?imageView2\/0\/format\/webp\/q\/75\" alt=\"Youtube.png\" width=\"589\" height=\"369.48339483394835\" title=\"\"><\/i><\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_73 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/chinas-answer-to-google-maps-shows-where-to-find-prostitute\/#Photo_Internet\" title=\"Photo: Internet\">Photo: Internet<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/chinas-answer-to-google-maps-shows-where-to-find-prostitute\/#Photo_SCMP\" title=\"Photo: SCMP\">Photo: SCMP<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/chinas-answer-to-google-maps-shows-where-to-find-prostitute\/#Photo_Internet-2\" title=\"Photo: Internet\">Photo: Internet<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/chinas-answer-to-google-maps-shows-where-to-find-prostitute\/#Photo_Internet-3\" title=\"Photo: Internet\">Photo: Internet<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h5><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Photo_Internet\"><\/span>Photo: Internet<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n<hr \/>\n<p>Baidu Maps, a location-based mapping service developed by the internet giant, provides contact information for <a target=\"_blank\" class=\"inside_link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/tag\/business\/\" title=\"View all posts in business\" >business<\/a>es of all types. They are charged a promotional fee to show up on search results using the service.<\/p>\n<p>These include venues that have names which hint at prostitution, according to a report from state-owned Legal Daily on Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p>When reporters searched for the terms \u201csauna\u201d and \u201cmassage\u201d, the service brought up 2,604 results for entertainment venues in Shanghai.<\/p>\n<h5><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.hiredchina.com\/FkJjmB9ahN7s5TpmgZLhaecfx24A?imageView2\/0\/format\/webp\/q\/75\" alt=\"1.png\" width=\"593\" height=\"279\" title=\"\"><\/h5>\n<p>Photo: SCMP<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>Most of the addresses given were fake, but once a customer dialled the listed telephone number they were connected to middlemen \u2013 who call themselves \u201cPRs\u201d. These middlemen would then lead the customer to the real address.<\/p>\n<p>Li Jing, a middleman who claimed he was in charge of more than 20 venues, was quoted as saying that <a href=\"https:\/\/dictionary.cambridge.org\/dictionary\/english\/incorrect\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">incorrect<\/a> addresses were listed on the map due to \u201csafety concerns\u201d. He added that every customer had to go through the middlemen because they did not trust strangers.<\/p>\n<p>The report said a venue listed as \u201cVenice Sauna Bath Club\u201d on Baidu Maps was actually a front for prostitution. A reporter for the <a target=\"_blank\" class=\"inside_link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/tag\/news\/\" title=\"View all posts in news\">news<\/a>paper was led to an office building and given a price list which included \u201cdifferent levels of women\u201d with prices up to 2,498 yuan (US$374).<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.hiredchina.com\/Fr00FihVofMlQeA-qP8PbkiLs6Sq?imageView2\/0\/format\/webp\/q\/75\" alt=\"2.png\" width=\"589\" height=\"376.37344398340247\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<h5><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Photo_SCMP\"><\/span>Photo: SCMP<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n<hr \/>\n<p>Li said he normally spent 20,000 yuan to promote venues on Baidu Maps every month to make sure they were easy to find.\u00a0 He could make a profit of 20,000 yuan every month after he paid off the fee.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMany sex workers came to Shanghai after the crackdown on the sex <a target=\"_blank\" class=\"inside_link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/tag\/trade\/\" title=\"View all posts in trade\">trade<\/a> in Dongguan,\u201d Li said there were normally 60 female sex workers and 60 middlemen working in a venue.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.hiredchina.com\/Flzw4vGU_W8ahY2a2ZCT1a5Zc4Q-?imageView2\/0\/format\/webp\/q\/75\" alt=\"Internet4.png\" width=\"589\" height=\"315.04651162790697\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<h5><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Photo_Internet-2\"><\/span>Photo: Internet<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n<hr \/>\n<p>The report said each middleman needed to find 400 customers per month to ensure he could earn 20,000 yuan a month.<\/p>\n<p>Zhen Cheng, who runs a legitimate massage business in Shanghai, told the newspaper that he had received a lot of calls asking if his shop provided sexual services since he had started listing contact information on the map.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.hiredchina.com\/FrTYnNzXgyMj6qKicetDBNv4JvYb?imageView2\/0\/format\/webp\/q\/75\" alt=\"WeChat \u5716\u7247_20170811124550.jpg\" width=\"589\" height=\"467.9277777777778\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<h5><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Photo_Internet-3\"><\/span>Photo: Internet<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n<hr \/>\n<p>The authorities opened an investigation into the matter following the report.<\/p>\n<p>On Wednesday, Baidu posted a statement on its official Weibo account, saying that all of the suspected POI (Points of Interest) had been deleted on its maps to \u201cfake information\u201d that would \u201caffect the user experience\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>It added that some users exploited the platform to \u201cmake a profit throught illegal business\u201d even though the company been working on ways of vetting registered companies.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.hiredchina.com\/FlXXlKXBxtykYAuKbjvAxKMwIbVH?imageView2\/0\/format\/webp\/q\/75\" alt=\"GIC.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"543.2937181663837\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Chinese internet giant Baidu is assisting the authorities in an investigation after a state media expos\u00e9 alleged this week that its online mapping services were being used to provide information 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