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Beware of hidden cameras!
By Megan Hatch — Written on Oct 03, 2021
Stalkerware apps, spyware, and hidden cameras are all realities we have to deal with in this new advanced technological world.
That's it's so important nowadays to learn and know how to protect ourselves so we aren't being secretly spied on and our data and information aren't taken from us without our consent.
Spyware and Stalkerware have also become more popular on mobile devices which have the potential to access a person's more intimate data including photos, real-time location, messages, and phone conversations.
If you weren't scared already, there are endless possibilities to put a hidden camera, such as different household objects which you would find in a hotel or AirBnB.
How to spot cameras and spyware in your AirBnB.
In a recent video, British ex-hacker, Marcus Hutchins explored the sorts of different hidden cameras you can find and how to detect a hidden camera posted to TikTok on his account named "Malwaretech."
In the video, Hutchins staged a normal room which you would see in an AirBnB, and then showed you where to find specific hidden cameras such as an alarm clock, smoke detector, or a wall plug.
"One way to see if a device is a camera is to shine a bright light at it. If you hit a camera lens, it's gonna give a blueish reflection," he explains. "You can test this by shining a light at your phone and seeing how the camera looks when placed under a flashlight."
There's also a way to see if the cameras you might have spotted have night vision by using a hack with your smartphone camera.
"Night vision cameras use infrared LED's and if we turn off the lights and use the front-facing phone camera, we can actually see these LED's."
Hutchins suggests looking for hidden cameras around the shower, dressing area, or the bed as that's where most are hidden to spy on guests. He also recommends checking if you have any suspicions there are hidden cameras.
Users on TikTok commented things such as, "new fear unlocked," "fantastic, another thing to be paranoid about," and "uhm bro I don't trust hotels or anything now thanks."
The video has gotten 4 million likes and has 27 million views, although, is there an actual reason for us to be concerned about hidden cameras in home rentals and hotel rooms?
AirBnB has a hidden camera problem.
According to AirBnB's “Community Standards” regarding security, hosts are not allowed to spy on their guests without consent, and that "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).”
Hutchins commented at a user concerned about how often this happens, that, "it's pretty rare but it does happen sometimes."
In 2017, AirBnB received criticism after several customers found hidden cameras at their rental properties, and once again in 2019, questioning if AirBnB is doing enough to protect its guests.
In this day and age, we need to be careful not only online but in our real lives especially if you're worried you are facing digital domestic abuse, intimate partner abuse, or have a secret stalker.
If you're scared about hidden cameras, you should follow similar steps as Hutchins described and remember as guests become more aware of these hidden cameras inevitably hosts can become more creative in hiding their cameras.
Megan Hatch is a writer at YourTango who covers news & entertainment, love & relationships, and internet culture. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.