Airbnb announced this month that it will ban the use of surveillance cameras in rental rooms starting April 30th. The news was welcomed by those concerned about privacy.
“Cameras are creepy and threatening,” said Albert Fox Kahn, executive director of the Surveillance Technology Surveillance Project, which is campaigning to ban cameras on Airbnb starting in 2022. You must agree and allow the owner to monitor activity within the rental. ”
For many travelers, Airbnb's new policy has raised some fundamental questions. What were the cameras doing there in the first place, and what are travelers' rights when it comes to privacy in hotels and rental homes?
Public use of cameras
Of course, cameras are everywhere in public life, from self-checkout kiosks in big box stores to airport terminals.
Michael McCall, a Hilton hotel fellow at Michigan State University's School of Hospitality Business, said hotels and vacation rentals, like other businesses, use surveillance cameras for two reasons. This is to protect customers and their property.
For example, travelers may feel more secure if they go to a hotel room or rental apartment that has security cameras in the hallway. Hotels and hosts may also use cameras to monitor property damage or theft, but the question of whether surveillance is effective at preventing crime remains a hot topic among privacy and safety advocates. This has been a long-standing debate.
“There has to be a balance between 'how do I protect my belongings' and at the same time not infringing on the guests' expected privacy,” McCall said. “Airbnb says no one is allowed inside.''
States vary as to whether and how much consent is required for surveillance, and there are also different rules for audio and video recording.
“Privacy law in the United States is fragmented at best,” said Doris Deltost Brogan, Heller McGuinness Endowed Leadership Chair and professor of law at Villanova University's Charles Widger School of Law in Villanova, Pennsylvania. I wrote it by email. He noted that while some federal privacy laws apply to all states, each state can enact its own privacy laws.
Airbnb has previously overcome this predicament by requiring renters to disclose indoor cameras installed in common areas such as hallways and kitchens.
Starting in 2022, short-term rental platform Vrbo has banned the use of indoor cameras, except for cameras that are visible to guests and can be disabled by guests.
The American Hotel and Lodging Association, which represents 80% of all franchised hotels in the United States, said in a statement that surveillance cameras in hotels should be limited to common areas such as lobbies and pools for security purposes.
“Reasonable Expectation of Privacy”
Regulations vary by state, but non-consensual video recording in private areas such as bedrooms and bathrooms is covered by more legal protections.
At the federal level, the Video Voyeurism Act of 2004 provides that a person may “intentionally videotape, photograph, photograph, or record images of the private areas of an individual without the individual’s consent under any circumstances in which the individual: Recording and broadcasting is prohibited. Reasonable Expectation of Privacy. ”
Many state and federal laws rely on expectations of privacy. “So that's often a bedroom or a bathroom, for example, but not necessarily a common area like a living room,” said John Homer, a law professor at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. Professor Raymond Koo says: Ohio.
But it's the illegal use of hidden cameras that has shocked travelers.
Earlier this month, a Royal Caribbean cruise ship flight attendant was charged with creating and possessing child sexual abuse images by installing a video camera in a guest's bathroom and taking intimate images of a 10-year-old passenger. was arrested.
In February, a man was arrested on charges of video voyeurism in Palm Beach County, Florida, for secretly videotaping 16 different people, sometimes at Airbnb stores.
In September, a 14-year-old passenger on an American Airlines flight found an iPhone taped to the toilet seat that his family said was installed by a flight attendant.
Legal and security experts believe such intrusions are exceptional, given the millions of people who travel every day, but warrant vigilance.
“There are still people participating who want to use the cameras for nefarious reasons,” said Kenneth Bonace, chief executive officer of the intelligence firm Global Threat Solutions, adding that a new generation of recording devices that are smaller, more discreet and cheaper. The device was explained.
how to find hidden cameras
In his job, Bonace uses high-tech equipment to search for hidden recording devices in everything from hotel rooms to corporate boardrooms.
For travelers who don't have name recognition or celebrity status, he recommends “searching for common sense places.”
This includes looking for small recording devices or evidence lenses on anything connected to a power source, such as clock radios, power outlets themselves, and battery-powered electronic devices such as smoke detectors and Bluetooth speakers. Masu. Turn off the lights and use a flashlight (a cell phone flashlight will suffice) to look for flashing lights that may show your camera.
If you're unsure, try draping a towel over your electronics or taping the electrical outlet.
Many recording devices require an Internet connection to stream images, so check if there is one connected to your Wi-Fi network and ask the homeowner or manager what it is. please. Apps like Network Analyzer and Ubiquiti WiFiman scan your network and discover connected devices.
Many portable gadgets sold on Amazon that cost less than $150 claim to be able to detect hidden cameras.
“While no technique is 100% effective, it can reduce and reduce the likelihood that a recording device will go undetected,” Bonace said.
What methods are available?
If you find a hidden camera in your hotel room or short-term rental, gather evidence by taking photos or videos and contact the police. Next, look for new accommodation.
Airbnb instructs guests to report privacy violations to its customer support team. Vrbo is similar, noting on its website that if a property is removed due to a violation, “hosts may be required to refund the full amount of the stay” and may be banned from the platform. There is.
Hosts still have ways to ensure that property rules are not being abused. Both Vrbo and Airbnb allow hosts to use devices outdoors that measure noise decibels without recording conversations, as long as they are disclosed to renters. Vrbo cites using them to avoid potential noise complaints from neighbors. Airbnb, which bans party houses, says the device could detect “unauthorized parties.”
The platform continues to allow the installation of external cameras in rental properties, as long as they are disclosed to guests prior to arrival. Disclosures are usually included in the list and the device should not be used for snooping indoors. Vrbo goes further with outdoor pool cameras, requiring notifications both in the property description and on-site.