How to check your holiday rental for hidden surveillance cameras ABC Science Posted 9 hours ago Surveillance cameras are getting cheaper, smaller and more accessible — and increasingly easy to hide.(ABC: Edwina Seselja) There's something unsettling about the idea of being watched while you and your loved ones kick back on holidays. If you've searched online to find whether holiday rental landlords spy on their guests, there's plenty to feed your paranoia. Several holiday rental websites, including Airbnb and HomeAway, have policies prohibiting the use of security cameras and recording devices inside properties. But surveillance cameras have been found in rented homes and Airbnb accommodation, without notification or consent of guests. Also, surveillance cameras are getting cheaper, smaller and more accessible — and increasingly easy to hide. So how can you tell if your landlord is keeping too close an eye on you? Don't get too paranoid Think about your risk profile. Take celebrities or politicians: they probably have more reason to be wary of spy cameras than the average traveller. "If you're talking about creepy landlord on Airbnb, the amount of expertise that they have available or their budget is going to be very different to people worried about the NSA bugging the room," pointed out Lee Brotherston, author of the Defensive Security Handbook. reportedly found a camera hidden in an Airbnb smoke alarm when one of them joined the house's wi-fi network. "IP Camera" was listed, tipping them off. When you join the premise's wi-fi, it's worth looking at what else is connected on the same network. It's sounds simple, but turning it off and on again can help.(Unsplash: Webaroo) If you know your way around a computer, you could try using an open source network scanner like Nmap to look at all the connected devices. If not, there are apps such as Fing, which provide a list of everything sitting on that same wi-fi connection. Take a look at what's listed and consider anything you don't recognise. Mr Brotherston also recommended using your phone as if you're about to pair with a Bluetooth device. Instead of taking the next step, examine the devices available for pairing for any gadgets you don't recognise. If you're really worried, you could also turn off the internet entirely. Try to spot the camera lens With the right tools, you may be able to spot a camera lens. Look around the room with your smartphone flashlight and see if any light bounces off a lens. This needs to be done slowly and methodically from different angles. Julian Claxton, a counter-espionage specialist, recommended a hidden camera detector — small devices that project a light that will reflect off the lens of a covert camera. Some hidden cameras may also have night vision enabled, which means they use infrared light to illuminate objects in the dark. If you darken the room, the camera may start flooding the room with infrared. If you have a camera that also has infrared capabilities, you can scan the room and look on the camera screen for a bright source of light you couldn't see with the lights on, Mr Brotherston suggested. Some smartphone cameras do not have infrared filters on their front lens, which means you can also use them to scan the room. With just a smartphone light, you can look for the reflection of a lens.(Unsplash: Prateek Srivastava) Check the power points Hidden cameras need ongoing power, so Mr Claxton suggested looking at what's connected to power points — follow stray cables and see where they lead. Especially if there's something a little off on the other end. If there's a lamp with a small hole in the side, for example, question why it would have that hole. "The reality is, that's how a lot of these cameras can be found — through anomalies. Things that just don't look right within an environment," he explained. Mr Claxton also suggested thinking about the nature of the room. For instance, bathrooms typically don't have too many electronic devices plugged in. "If there's a lamp that's been placed in there, I'd probably disconnect it," he said. "If there's a clock radio in the toilet, that wouldn't necessarily make sense." Look for oddly placed objects Hidden cameras can be built into just about anything, but for the lay person, Mr Claxton suggested using "a bit of common sense". "For example, if you see a smoke detector on the ceiling, and you see another one just a metre away, you have to think to yourself, why would there be two smoke detectors? And maybe take a closer look." An example of a hidden camera, placed inside a smoke alarm and discovered by police.(Supplied: Queensland Police) Pinhole cameras may be difficult to spot, but Mr Brotherston has found they're often tucked behind a clock or photo. "It's normally something flat that you could drill a small hole in," he said. "If it's a more consumer camera, it's more likely to be hidden among a jumble of stuff on a shelf." Mr Brotherston said it's worth considering where the camera would be targeting — the bed or bathroom, for example. If so, the camera needs line of sight, so remember to scan the room from that vantage point. https://www.abc.net.au/news/science...k-your-airbnb-for-hidden-spy-cameras/11775630
I know what you mean - it's almost enough to put me off doing the hoovering naked while singing along to "Tragedy" by the Bee Gees!
True, I understand why it's done but IMO it's too much of a privacy breach. I'm also concerned about them looking through the cameras while I'm working on a thesis for prothesiswriter.com and possible stealing valuable information.
Personally, I don't understand why it's done. If are referring to damages, that's what insurances are for. Cameras in private spaces are not okay, regardless of whether it's a hotel, a rented apartment or Airbnb.