Airbnb is a No-Go Theoret for Privacy, Security and Safety: A Re-examination of a Panel Discussion with Klosowski

It said it may penalize violators by removing listings or accounts. The company has already placed requirements on hosts and guests to be transparent about the cameras, and hidden cameras have also been reported.

The revised policy — which takes effect on April 30 — also includes more thorough rules on the use of outdoor security cameras and other devices such as noise decibel monitors, which are required to be disclosed before guests book.

A page on TikTok is dedicated to showing people how to find hidden cameras. One video by cybersecurity specialist and ex-hacker Marcus Hutchins has 5 million views.

Hutchins says people should look for devices that look suspicious and shine a bright light on them. “If you hit a camera lens, it’s going to reflect blue-ish reflections” he said.

In a 2022 interview with NPR, Thorin Klosowski — who at the time was privacy and security editor at Wirecutter — also recommends unplugging “anything that looks kind of fishy, whether that’s an alarm clock or just a USB plug that seems random in the wall.”

The Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, a group that serves those targeted by surveillance abuse, released a statement on Monday welcoming the ban.

“No one should have to worry about being recorded in a rental, whether the bedroom, the living room, or a hall,” said Albert Fox Cahn, the group’s executive director. “Eliminating the cameras is a win for privacy and safety, and we know that the recording devices are likely to be abused.”

Albert Fox Cahn, founder and executive director of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, a pro-privacy organization, says that he is grateful that Airbnb listens to their calls to put safety and privacy first.