Reprinted from TidBITS by permission; reuse governed by Creative Commons
license BY-NC-ND 3.0. TidBITS has offered years of thoughtful commentary
on Apple and Internet topics. For free email subscriptions and access to the
entire TidBITS archive, visit http://www.tidbits.com/


                      Find Hidden Cameras While Traveling

   Glenn Fleishman

   Earlier this year, Airbnb announced a policy change that [1]bans
   cameras inside properties listed by their hosts. If you haven't used
   Airbnb or read the fine print on its policies, you might have thought,
   'What the blank! Airbnb hosts could snoop on their guests?!'

   Sort of. Airbnb's previous policy [2]allowed indoor cameras only in a
   rental's public spaces (such as a living room or front hallway) and
   only when disclosed. In 2018, the company went a step further by
   requiring hosts to detail camera locations and where they were pointed,
   and by making guests acknowledge seeing the information by confirming
   via a popup dialog when booking. Apparently, that wasn't enough: as of
   1 May 2024, Airbnb [3]joined competitor VRBO in a total ban on indoor
   cameras.

   What prompted this ban? Airbnb didn't say, and no reporting on the
   policy revision suggested a specific reason. The company's statement
   says: 'The update to this policy simplifies our approach and makes
   clear that security cameras are not allowed inside listings, regardless
   of their location, purpose or prior disclosure.'

   Reading between the lines, I expect Airbnb may be reacting in part to
   the widespread availability and easy deployment of tiny, nearly
   invisible cameras hidden in ordinary objects you'd expect to find in a
   home or rental. Such objects include [4]smoke detectors, [5]USB power
   adapters, [6]AC outlets, [7]clock radios, [8]tissue-box holders,
   [9]appliances, and all manner of other things. As you can see by those
   links, they're readily available from major online retailers.

   From a host's standpoint, I understand the temptation to want a hidden
   camera for peace of mind about the misuse of a rental. Short-term
   renters may bring in more people than allowed by the agreement,
   [10]stage parties, or [11]trash a unit. Yet the expectation of privacy
   and legal protections should be paramount, and hosts should understand
   that. Disclosed cameras remain allowed outside, so a host could have
   cameras capturing entry points if they were really concerned. Indoor
   decibel meters that don't record conversations are also allowed in
   shared spaces if disclosed.

   Hidden cameras are installed in lots of non-rental scenarios, of
   course. Though it's impossible to know for sure, the majority'maybe the
   vast majority'are likely deployed to watch household employees or
   contractors, like nannies or tradespeople. But some significant subset
   is for prurient and exploitative purposes. The very ugliness of the
   subterfuge of the disguises used for routine devices found in bedrooms
   and bathrooms makes that clear. It's always wrong and often criminal.
   Sometimes such hidden cameras are used [12]in unexpectedly terrible
   ways.

   By having a total ban on indoor cameras, Airbnb makes it easier for
   savvy travelers to examine their surroundings and report a host (and
   get a refund, with hotel nights picked up by Airbnb) for violations.
   Airbnb policy has always said, 'Intentionally concealed recording
   devices (such as hidden security cameras) are never permitted,' but
   with cameras allowed in some spaces and not others, there could be gray
   areas.

   Even if you never use Airbnb, VRBO, or similar non-hospitality industry
   rooms, be aware that hidden cameras have also been found in [13]hotel
   rooms, [14]cruise ships, public facilities, and elsewhere. Without
   being paranoid, it's worth being aware of the potential for privacy
   invasions. A particularly egregious case late last year involved a
   flight attendant [15]allegedly taping a poorly hidden iPhone to a
   toilet seat; most hidden cameras are obscured far better than this.

   You aren't helpless in the face (or lens) of technology. If you want to
   check for hidden cameras, try these techniques:
     * Examine anything with a reflective glass or plastic cover or with
       holes, such as the front screen of an alarm clock or a smoke
       detector. Can you spot a camera lens? Point a phone flashlight to
       see if it reveals a telltale reflection.
     * Make the room dark by turning off all the lights. Some cameras
       produce visible lights.
     * With the lights off, open the Camera app on your iPhone and scan
       the room through the viewfinder to see if you can spot an infrared
       or 'night-vision' LED, a common attribute of spycams to improve
       low-light recording. To test if your iPhone's front- or rear-facing
       cameras can detect infrared light in a dim room, point an infrared
       TV or stereo remote at the iPhone while pressing buttons.
     * While connected to a rental or hotel Wi-Fi network, use a passive
       network scanner to look for cameras. This technique is far from
       guaranteed, but it may reveal networked cameras. I have three
       cameras on my home network (one outside and two inside pointing
       out), and the $29.99 [16]iNet Network Scanner for macOS identifies
       two of them using its database of devices. The $9.99 version of
       [17]iNet Network Scanner for iOS produced slightly different
       results. Many people recommend [18]Fing, a multi-platform scanner
       with an iOS version. When I tried Fing's free tier in iOS, it
       didn't provide sufficient identifying details.
       iNet Network Scanner showing cameras (left), Fing not identifying
       them (right)
     * Some security experts think if you've gone as far as the previous
       step, you should also scan for additional telltale Wi-Fi networks
       that spycams might be connected to. There's also evidence that
       poorly designed camera hardware may continuously broadcast a
       revealing Wi-Fi network name that should be present only during
       setup'those network names may be a jumble of hexadecimal but can
       also be as obvious as starting with 'IPCam.' To find such networks,
       use a Wi-Fi scanning app that displays signal strength: a strong
       signal emanating from an otherwise innocuous object could indicate
       a hidden camera. On a Mac, turn to the $19.95 [19]WiFi Explorer
       (which has a 3-day free trial and is also available in [20]Setapp)
       for a thorough snapshot. In iOS, Apple prevents third-party apps
       from revealing diagnostic Wi-Fi network information, but its
       outdated AirPort Utility app has a scanning mode that still works
       in iOS 17. [21]Download AirPort Utility and turn on Settings >
       AirPort Utility > Wi-Fi Scanner. Then, in AirPort Utility, tap
       Wi-Fi Scan in the upper-right corner and tap Scan. A lower RRSI
       number indicates a stronger network signal'that is, -39 dBm is
       stronger than -56 dBm (closer to 0).
       WiFi Explorer (left) and AirPort Utility (right) can both sort by
       signal strength and reveal Wi-Fi networks that don't broadcast a
       network name.
     * If you have a personal or professional need for more thorough
       checking'you're being stalked, are a political protester, or are
       famous'you can purchase specialty devices that range from [22]$21
       to [23]$500 that can help pinpoint wireless transmissions, as all
       these hidden cameras send data wirelessly.

   The scourge isn't hidden cameras. It's human beings. While Airbnb's
   move won't prevent people from doing creepy things, it draws a line in
   the sand for acceptable behavior and clarifies that cameras may only be
   used outside.

   Don't take this article as encouraging paranoia'it's unlikely that any
   given rented room or house would contain prurient hidden cameras. But
   if you have reason to be concerned or want extra peace of mind, you now
   have a handful of ways to identify hidden cameras.

References

   Visible links
   1. https://news.airbnb.com/an-update-on-our-policy-on-security-cameras/
   2. https://web.archive.org/web/20231203104201/https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2914
   3. https://help.vrbo.com/articles/What-is-HomeAway-s-policy-on-surveillance-devices-at-a-property
   4. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D3DGRZXQ/?tag=tidbitselectro00
   5. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08DVH5K4X/?tag=tidbitselectro00
   6. https://www.ebay.com/itm/155866101943
   7. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C7QSSKVR/?tag=tidbitselectro00
   8. https://spyassociates.com/tissue-box-hidden-camera-w-dvr-30-hour-battery/
   9. https://stuntcams.com/covert-cameras/household-items-cameras.html
  10. https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/19/airbnb-party-preventer-naba-banerjee-reduced-parties-55percent-in-two-years.html
  11. https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/English-Language-Archive/House-trashed-wrecked-destroyed-by-guest/td-p/76067
  12. https://www.ladbible.com/news/airbnb-host-sent-guests-wife-affair-photos-revenge-539141-20240215
  13. https://viewfromthewing.com/women-sues-hilton-after-finding-video-camera-in-her-rooms-alarm-clock/
  14. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/royal-caribbean-cruise-employee-arrested-hidden-camera-found-guest-bat-rcna141829
  15. https://apnews.com/article/camera-plane-bathroom-american-airlines-lawsuit-a653e73fc0dea6525f2e639428a154fb
  16. https://inetapp.de/en/inetx.html
  17. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/inet-network-scanner/id340793353
  18. https://www.fing.com/
  19. https://www.intuitibits.com/products/wifiexplorer/
  20. https://setapp.com/apps/wifi-explorer
  21. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/airport-utility/id427276530
  22. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CNTFMFWN/?tag=tidbitselectro00
  23. https://www.spygadgets.com/collections/counter-surveillance

   Hidden links:
  24. https://tidbits.com/wp/../uploads/2024/05/IR-remote-photo-scaled.jpg
  25. https://tidbits.com/wp/../uploads/2024/05/passive-scanners.jpg
  26. https://tidbits.com/wp/../uploads/2024/05/Wi-Fi-scanners-scaled.jpg