World of the Bizarre

Dystopian toilet forces users to watch ads in exchange for toilet roll

By T.K. Randall
September 20, 2025

Image: AI-generated (Midjourney) In what hopefully won't be a sign of things to come, a viral clip filmed in China shows a new type of public restroom that requires a user to scan a QR code and watch an advert in exchange for toilet roll.

According to reports, this is in fact a real thing, albeit something rolled out to only select restrooms.

The idea behind it is to reduce waste due to the excess use of toilet paper.

The system works by giving the user the option to scan a code for the first pieces of toilet roll, then requires them to either watch another advert or pay a small fee for more if they need it.One obvious issue is that, since a mobile phone is required to scan the code, there doesn't seem to be any fallback option for a user who doesn't happen to have such a device on them.

People with disabilities or who simply aren't very tech savvy are also likely to struggle.

The only silver lining is that the system requires that someone obtain the paper before they actually do their business - thus preventing any unfortunate situations.

Fortunately, there is no indication that a system like this is going to become commonplace elsewhere - no doubt the general public would be up in arms about being forced to either watch adverts or pay just to get a few pieces of toilet paper.

Nonetheless, even the existence of something like this is somewhat troubling.

Source: Mail Online

Tags: Toilet, China