Liverpool Nightlife Scandal: Secret Videos Gain Millions of Views 2026

Key Points

• In an investigation conducted by ECHO, it was discovered that there are accounts on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram uploading secretly-filmed videos of women in Liverpool City Centre.
• These videos are attracting millions of views and thousands of sexist remarks about the appearance of the women.
• The videos show people only in dresses and gym wear mostly when they are adjusting themselves.
• They are shot mostly from the back and lower angles exposing private areas of the body at times.
• Thousands of videos were found that show young women in “nightlife” venues like Concert Square, Bold Street, and Mathew Street.
• The women felt shocked, disgusted, and outraged by this issue, and even shared their experience of being recorded.
• The campaigners are demanding the government to plug the loopholes in the law to protect women from the hidden cameras.
• The act of filming in public places is not against the law, but there has been growing concern regarding the “nightlife” videos trend.

Liverpool (Liverpool standard) October 03, 2026 – Women are being secretly filmed in Liverpool city centre with videos racking up millions of views and thousands of misogynistic comments, an ECHO investigation has found. Accounts on social media channels including YouTube, TikTok and Instagram have been identified posting secretly-filmed videos of women on nights out, shopping and socialising. The published videos almost exclusively focus on women in tight or short dresses and gymwear, sometimes capturing the moment they readjust their clothes. The videos are often filmed from behind or at low angles which at times reveal intimate parts of the body.

How many videos have been found and where were women filmed?

The ECHO found thousands of videos on YouTube showing young women in Liverpool city centre’s nightlife hotspots including Concert Square, Bold Street and Mathew Street. A number of videos showed oblivious women walking down the street, smoking and making gestures that were part of personal conversations. One account, which also showed videos of women out shopping and socialising in the day, was particularly concerning because the perpetrator followed his target down the road and into shops, making sure to move the camera up and down to show their bodies. The ECHO also found evidence of the nightlife content on Instagram under hashtags promoting “night walks”. Videos were described as “Liverpool after dark, where the streets come alive,” with queues of people outside venues including Baa Bar, LA’GO and McCooley’s.

What have women said about being secretly filmed in Liverpool?

People have reacted with shock and outrage after an ECHO investigation revealed that women are being secretly filmed in Liverpool city centre with videos racking up millions of views and thousands of misogynistic comments. Women have shared their own experiences of being filmed while others condemned the vile and exploitative behaviour. As reported by journalists of the Liverpool ECHO, our reporting has discovered accounts on social media channels including YouTube, TikTok and Instagram which post secretly-filmed videos of women on nights out, shopping and socialising. The published videos we found almost exclusively focus on women in tight or short dresses and gymwear, sometimes capturing the moment they readjust their clothes.

What is the legal position on covert filming in public spaces?

Filming in public spaces is not illegal, but there has been growing concern over the “nightlife” content trend, which often targets intoxicated women in major UK cities and posts the videos for profit online. In the UK currently, there is no specific law against filming someone in public without consent, says privacy lawyer Jamie Hurworth – but “being in a public place doesn’t necessarily mean it’s ‘fair game’ to be filmed and then have that video uploaded online”. Merseyside Police clarified that while filming individuals in public is not against the law, actions causing distress or harassment might be deemed criminal. Inspector Jack Woodward confirmed that the force is aware of videos circulating on social media depicting women in Liverpool city center during nights out and that inquiries are underway.

What action are campaigners calling for?

The government must take action on the covert “nightlife” filming of women and girls for profit on social media, which is driving them out of public spaces, leading women’s charities have warned. In an open letter to the prime minister, campaigners say women and girls are being forced to “alter their behaviour, withdraw from online spaces, and limit their presence in public life” following a “rapid rise” in the viral videos, where vulnerable women are filmed in public spaces without their consent and exposed to harassment and ridicule online. “Just across from No 10 North in Manchester, but also in many towns and cities throughout the country, women are being secretly filmed on a night out, and the videos are then posted online – often for profit – where they receive a barrage of degrading and misogynistic comments,” the letter reads.

Have there been arrests related to secretly filmed videos?

A man has been taken into custody after women were surreptitiously filmed during their nights out, with the footage subsequently circulated on social media platforms. Videos of women on nights out, revealed in a BBC North West investigation, gained millions of views. Content featuring Manchester and Liverpool nightlife was frequently posted on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. The police indicated that this arrest is believed to be the first in the nation related to several viral videos on social media that appeared to depict women during nights out, some in compromising situations. A man has been charged after he was caught secretly filming up women’s skirts in Liverpool city centre.

What role do smart glasses and social media platforms play?

There have been reports of fashion statement smart glasses being used to secretly film strangers, raising questions of harassment, particularly for women and girls. Women across social media have shared how they were filmed by men without their consent, both publicly and in private. One woman claimed to the BBC that she was ‘humiliated’ by a video shared of her online, filmed covertly using Meta glasses, which was viewed about 40,000 times. TikTok has removed four channels shared by the BBC. Meta, which runs Facebook and Instagram, said it has removed content that violated its policies.

Background of the Development

The issue of covertly filming women in public spaces and posting the footage online for profit has been a growing concern across the UK for several years. A BBC investigation in early 2026 exposed dozens of accounts on YouTube, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram posting videos focused almost entirely on women, filmed without their knowledge and taken from low angles or behind, sometimes revealing intimate body parts. The BBC went undercover to investigate an industry where women are filmed at night without their knowledge, finding men covertly filming women on nights out, then making money by posting the videos online. The videos, often described as “walking tours” or “nightlife content”, are published on YouTube, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram. In November 2024, a man was held after secret filming was shared on TikTok, in what police believed was the first arrest in the nation related to such videos. The issue gained further prominence when women’s charities wrote an open letter to the prime minister urging government action.

Prediction: How This Development Can Affect Women and Nightlife in Liverpool

This development is likely to have significant effects on how women feel about going out in Liverpool city centre and other UK nightlife destinations. Women may increasingly alter their behaviour, withdraw from online spaces, and limit their presence in public life due to fears of being secretly filmed and subjected to misogynistic comments online. The knowledge that thousands of videos exist showing women in nightlife hotspots like Concert Square, Bold Street and Mathew Street could deter some women from visiting these areas, particularly at night. Venues and city centre businesses may face pressure to implement measures to protect customers from covert filming, potentially affecting the nightlife economy. Social media platforms may face increased scrutiny and calls for stricter enforcement of policies against non-consensual filming content. The legal landscape may also evolve, with campaigners pushing for specific laws against filming someone in public without consent for online distribution