Top 9 Airbnb Hidden Camera Spotting Techniques Hey Big Brother

Know that Airbnb owners have the right to install a camera

Don’t panic if a camera is filming the property’s entrance: Airbnb allows owners to use monitoring devices, but only under certain conditions. Only public places (so not the bedroom, not the bathroom, toilets or living room if there is a sofa bed) have the right to photograph. In addition, these devices must be visible and, above all, travelers must be informed of their presence. Otherwise, you can sue for invasion of privacy (kind of neat, but not great to live with).

Remove existing webcams

It’s stupid, but a stationary computer or other electronic camera device, if left in the apartment and not yours, can very well be used to photograph you without your knowledge. When in doubt, we throw it all away (not in the trash, but we put tape on it, or put the whole thing in the closet, you get me).

Think about the optimal places to install the camera

Before embarking on an investigation worthy of Sherlock Holmes (or Hercule Poirot according to preference), take a look with your simple little eyes. It’s stupid, but some owners can be stupid, to the point of having cameras that aren’t well hidden. So take a tour of the strategic rooms, and think of viewing angles that might be interesting to eavesdroppers, like in a piece of furniture directly opposite the bed or in a switch pointed toward the bathroom, for example.

Also look in slightly unusual places

Obviously we look at clocks and alarms, but we also think about watches under the sink and in the bathroom, switches in general, trinkets, stuffed animals, power strips and electrical outlets, smoke detectors, desks, shelves, books, boxes of CDs, DVDs and video games, And alarm systems, and holes in the wall, and pictures and frames, as well as USB hubs and chargers. It’s psychological, but I swear we’re sometimes surprised by current technology.

Turn off all the lights and use your phone’s flash to detect cameras that are not visible to the naked eye

If you have any doubts about a camera, go out into complete darkness and bring a flashlight or your phone flash. Then dig in the same places as above. Thanks to the cameras reflex lens, you should be able to identify the viewfinder by the flash of light.

Look for strange spots of light with your camera

Off-line cameras usually have infrared diodes that can help locate them. To do this, close all the blinds, turn off the light and use your phone’s camera. Then direct it to suspicious places (including all those mentioned above). As soon as a white to purple dot of light appears on your screen, find its source because odds are it’s a cute little camera. Be warned, not all cameras can detect infrared light, so to see if this is the case for you, pre-test with your remote.

Take a tour of the networked equipment

For cameras that are connected to the network, and therefore operate by wifi, there is a simple technique for determining their trace. Disconnect all your devices (except your phone, of course) from the network and launch an app like flipper Lists all electronic devices connected to the local wifi. All you have to do is identify which equipment is normal in the house (such as a TV or speakers) and which is suspicious (for example, if they are singing). It’s weird Zaho). sometimes, flipper Rather directly note which devices are the cameras, which I think is very practical.

To find out which camera is shooting what, there is also a hacking technique that consists of doing an internet search that associates the IP address with an open port that the app has detected, but as I understood one out of three words in that sentence, I’m not going to venture here to try and explain it to you. Be aware, however, that applications such as flipper It cannot give you camera locations or discover cameras outside the network.

Do the nail test on mirrors

Well, we’re really starting to get paranoid, but if you want to get to the bottom of the investigation at any cost, you can always check that the mirrors in your house don’t have a potential camera because they don’t have a train. To find out the answer, place your finger directly on the glass. If there is a space between your nail and its reflection, you’re dealing with a regular mirror. If your reflection touches your toenail, I’m not going to lie to you, it stinks a little. Obviously, this science is not exact and there may be a camera behind the mirror, even if you have a gap between your nails and vice versa. But if in doubt, and just for fun, you can always take this test.

Use an RF detector

Well, it costs money, but if this video surveillance camera really stresses you out, it will let you sleep peacefully (after I tell you that, but the pillow is more comfortable, huh…).