While it is normally forbidden to place spy cameras in a rental apartment, it happens that travelers discover them in the accommodations. Here are some tips for detecting them.
Booking accommodation on Airbnb can lead to unpleasant surprises and some tenants sometimes find cameras placed in the bedroom or bathroom when this is strictly prohibited by the platform.
This is the misadventure that happened on December 9, 2002 to Larissa Angaman, a 24-year-old girl from Diepp who booked accommodation in Rouen with two friends. Around 3 a.m., as she goes to the toilet in the bathroom, she ticks the digital clock. “By playing with it a little, I discovered that there was a camera inside as well as an SD card”, she explains to BFM Normandie.
She thus inspects all the accommodation with her friends and discovers a second camera in the bedroom. There, the camera is in a power strip on a piece of furniture. When she looks at the items on the SD card, she discovers footage of her in the shower or the landlord replacing the bedroom camera.
A practice obviously prohibited
She then reported the situation to the Airbnb platform, which ended up suspending the accommodation and the account. Larissa Angaman also filed a complaint. Unfortunately, Larissa’s situation is not isolated even though Airbnb explicitly bans any camera that is not mentioned in the ad.
They are also strictly prohibited in areas of the accommodation such as the bedroom or the bathroom: “the devices must never monitor private rooms (such as bedrooms, bathrooms or common areas which are used as sleeping spaces, such as a living room with a sleeper sofa). Disconnected devices are permitted provided they are turned off and disclosed to travelers in advance,” reads Airbnb’s Terms and Conditions. Only cameras filming a public common area or entrance are allowed.
Look for suspicious objects
Without becoming paranoid, if you want to inspect a home, you have to start by looking in strategic rooms: bedroom, bathroom, toilet. Also look for suspicious objects such as alarm clocks. If you light up an alarm clock and one part reflects the light more than the others, that could be a clue. A camera has an optics hidden behind a glass without tint.
Among the most frequent fake objects (but real cameras): a phone charger, an alarm clock, a smoke detector or a clock.
A smartphone is also very useful. A phone’s camera can be a trick. It is necessary to turn off the light of the accommodation and to make sure to be in the most complete darkness. Point the camera at strategic areas where a camera might be. If a bright purple point of light (actually the infrared system that detects motion) appears on the screen, inspect that area. The same manipulation is possible with the flashlight function.
Look for suspicious networks
Similarly, the application fin detects nearby connected devices. Start by disconnecting all your equipment from the network except your smartphone. In the app, run a local network scan. In the list, locate the equipment in the accommodation that connects to the internet. If there are IP addresses left, Fing may display the title IP camera, which is suspicious.
Select each IP address and choose Find open ports. Fing tells you the model number, so it’s very easy to find the address of the interface with a simple Google search. Other applications exist such as Network Scanner or INet.
In any case, if you spot an unauthorized camera in the dwelling, the first thing to do is tonotify the platform via the site or Airbnb customer service number: +33184884000 or other booking platform. You can also file a complaint for invasion of privacy.
