An investigation by the BBC has uncovered a growing practice in which men secretly film women on nights out in UK city centres and publish the footage online for profit, often without the women’s knowledge or consent.
The videos are commonly labelled as “walking tours” or “nightlife content” and are posted on platforms including YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram. Although presented as public street footage, the videos focus almost entirely on women wearing dresses or skirts, with frequent rear or low-angle shots that reveal intimate body parts.
The BBC identified more than 65 online channels producing this content. Collectively, the videos have attracted more than 3 billion views over the past 3 years. Some individual channels have exceeded 200 million views.
The BBC traced and contacted nearly 50 women who appeared in the videos. Many said they were unaware they had been filmed until journalists informed them. Several described feeling distressed, frightened, and humiliated.
One woman, aged 21, said footage showing up her skirt had been uploaded online without her consent and viewed millions of times.
“I’ve been left feeling paranoid whenever I leave my home,” she said.
Another woman, referred to as Grace, was filmed outside a nightclub in Manchester while celebrating her friend’s 21st birthday. The video, which showed up her skirt, was viewed more than three million times.
“From eye level, everything was covered,” she said. “But the angle in the footage was lower. It made me think: how close was he?”
Her younger sister Sophie, who had just turned 18, was also captured in the video.
“I’ve not been out because I’m just scared,” Sophie said. “This isn’t normal. It shouldn’t have happened.”
BBC journalists conducted undercover work in Manchester city centre, observing several men covertly recording women during busy weekend nights.
The filming was carried out at close range, often by holding small cameras at waist or chest height while pretending to look at mobile phones. Some men followed women briefly as they walked between venues.
Among those identified was Florjan Reka, a 35-year-old man based in Sweden, who runs one of the most prominent YouTube channels of its kind. His channel has nearly 200 million views and 399,000 subscribers, and he also has a Facebook page with more than 600,000 followers.
BBC journalists observed Florjan Reka and his brother, Roland Reka, filming women in Manchester during the Halloween period. In subsequent days, videos appeared online matching the angles and locations recorded by journalists.
Attempts to contact Florjan Reka for comment were unsuccessful. He did not respond to written questions and declined to engage when approached in Sweden.
Another individual identified was Dean Hill, a 36-year-old taxi driver based in Manchester. He denied any wrongdoing.
“I do not film up skirts, intimate body parts, or any form of nudity,” Hill said. “My videos do not contain sexually explicit content.”
Police have not accused any of the men named in the investigation of criminal offences.
Professor Annabelle Gawer, director of the Centre of Digital Economy at the University of Surrey, said the trade could be generating substantial income.
“We’re talking about billions of cumulative views across this whole ecosystem,” she said. “A video with a million views could make up to £5,000.”
Some creators have registered their channels as businesses, listing activities such as “marketing” and “advertising.”
Under UK law, filming in public spaces is generally legal. However, legal experts argue that the content may violate other laws depending on the context and intent.
Solicitor Honza Cervenka, who specialises in image-based sexual abuse, said the practice exists in a “grey area”.
“It skirts between the line for a number of different crimes, including voyeurism and harassment,” he said.
Greater Manchester Police confirmed that a man was arrested in 2024 on suspicion of stalking and harassment linked to similar videos. The case was later dropped due to “limitations within the current legislation”.
After being contacted by the BBC, YouTube deactivated two accounts linked to Florjan Reka, but several other videos remain online.
TikTok also removed four channels identified by journalists. Accounts on Facebook and Instagram, owned by Meta, remain largely active, although the company stated that it removed content that violated its policies.
Last month, following a related investigation into covert filming using smart glasses, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the government would not tolerate technology being used to harass women.
The Home Office has indicated that future legislation may seek to close loopholes around covert filming carried out for sexual or commercial gain.
For many women affected, the removals offer limited reassurance.
“He’s still got the video,” Grace said. “What’s to stop him from sharing it again?”
“There’s probably no shutting it down,” she said.
