Expert tips on privacy while travelling: Does your Airbnb have a hidden camera?

However, it does happen.

For example, in 2019, police in South Korea discovered cameras inside TV boxes, wall outlets and hair dryer stands that had live-streamed approximately 1,600 guests in their hotel rooms. Later that year, a couple filed a lawsuit against a San Diego Airbnb owner who allegedly hid cameras inside small holes of the bathroom and the bedroom ceiling. The examples go on.

There are exceptions, though, for when cameras inside a vacation rental can make sense, like if an owner wants to protect their property from criminal activity, says Kenneth Bombace, chief executive of Global Threat Solutions, an investigative and intelligence firm that offers travel protection services.

As a result of the proliferation of personal surveillance, companies like Airbnb and VRBO have rules for guests and hosts on when recording devices are appropriate.

In an Airbnb "Community Standards" section regarding security, it's stated that: "You should not spy on other people; cameras are not allowed in your listing unless they are previously disclosed and visible, and they are never permitted in private spaces (such as bathrooms or sleeping areas)."

"And by the way, it's not just for the host," Bombace said. "They also have rules regarding the guests who have placed cameras recording their host."

Airbnb encourages guests to read Airbnb listings for details on security cameras located at a property.

If you are concerned about your privacy travelling - even if the odds of voyeurism are low - here's advice from security experts on what you can do to protect yourself.

Do a 'common sense' scan of your accommodation

On arrival at your accommodation, Bombace recommends going through what he calls "common sense procedures" in the private areas, like the bedroom and bathroom. He says to pay attention to smoke detectors, radios, outlets and any flashing lights.

When O'Rourke gets to his hotel room or vacation rental, he starts with unplugging the bedside alarm and putting it inside of a drawer, or throwing a towel on top of it. Next, "the places to worry about, especially in a hotel, is anything that would have a view of the bed, or a view of the bathroom," he said.

O'Rourke also covers up any peepholes in doors, and throws a towel across the bottom of outside-facing doorways to prevent under-the-door cameras.

In Hutchins's video, he recommends shining a light onto any surfaces to expose things unseen to the naked eye, like a camera hidden inside an alarm clock face or a two-way mirror.

Hutchins also says travellers can turn off lights in their room, and use the front-facing camera on their smartphones to look for infrared LEDs used in night-vision cameras. If you'd like to test the trick ahead of your travels, O'Rourke says you can practice on your TV remote.

Jeremy Prout, director of security solutions at the medical and travel security firm International SOS, is wary of such tactics. If you're not trained in Technical Surveillance Countermeasures (TSCM), your odds of successfully finding infrared clues are low.

"And if you do see something, how do you know that it's accurate?" Prout said.

His tip for travellers is to assess the room from the perspective of your "adversary." As O'Rourke suggested as well, do a quick scan of private areas for the best line of sight and angles a voyeur would be interested in, then look for any small holes or items that seem out of place. Are there two smoke detectors on the bedroom ceiling? Is a clock radio oddly situated?

Scan wifi networks for suspicious devices

One family discovered a hidden camera at their Airbnb in Ireland when the father, Andrew Barker, connected his phone to the wifi network and saw a device labelled "IP camera."

Barker has since gone on to write a blog post on that includes a detailed breakdown of exactly how he used Network Scanner and Network Mapper to uncover the covert camera. He also recommends using tools like Angry IP Scanner to look for suspicious devices connected to an accommodation's wifi. Fing is another app to do the job.

Prout says it's good to understand what's on a host's network, however, it's not foolproof. A host may have changed the name of his camera device, or may not have a camera hooked up to wifi in the first place.

O'Rourke thinks the average traveller may not have the tech-savvy background to benefit from this technique, but there's no harm in trying.

Turn off the wifi altogether

Thomas Ham, founder of the professional TSCM company Spy Catchers, told Fox31 Denver that travellers can opt to turn off an accommodation's wifi and router on arrival. Should the host give you a call about the issue, you can ask about whether there are any cameras in the property that weren't disclosed in the listing.

Prout doesn't go out of his way to make any changes to the room. If you're scanning the room for infrared cameras or putting electrical tape over any cameras, "that's a lot to me," he says.

As for turning off the wifi, "I don't think that it's much of a good get as far as a tip to see if there's an internal camera," Prout said. Your host may need wifi to keep a disclosed front-door camera functioning to protect packages, or make sure guests are following the terms of their rental agreement (not throwing parties, not bringing pets, etc.). If you're staying at a shared Airbnb, turning off the wifi won't be an option, either.

Practice keeping situational awareness

If you're anxious about privacy and safety travelling, Prout recommends choosing an accommodation more carefully to begin with, saving yourself at least some stress. Avoid vacation rentals that don't have reviews.

"Take a look at who stayed there before, what the feedback is," he said. "If you are in the boat of having these concerns, you want to stay in an Airbnb that has a lot of stays historically."

Prout says in general, situational awareness is critical. Remember to look up from your phone and pay attention to anything that feels off. That may be tough as you're travelling when you're unfamiliar with your surroundings.

"We always need to be aware that our baseline is degraded because we are in a new spot," Prout said. "We don't see those anomalies as often as we should."

O'Rourke says he's in the habit of going through his standard operating procedures for accommodation safety every time he travels, even if he's not in a particularly threatening environment. It's part of developing and maintaining a muscle memory for situational awareness.

"It's not paranoia; it's relaxed alertness," he said.

The Washington Post

See also: Family find a hidden camera in their Airbnb