Hidden cameras: What travelers need to know

10.05.2024 - 16:12 / thepointsguy.com / Royal Caribbean

Hidden cameras have been a hot topic in the headlines.

In May 2023, a Royal Caribbean passenger was arrested for installing a hidden camera in a public bathroom, according to CNN. A few months later, in July, Fox 5 in Washington, D.C., ran a story on a Texas couple who sued the man they rented an Airbnb from after finding hidden cameras disguised as smoke detectors. In December 2023, NBC10 in Boston reported that a teenage girl found a hidden camera on an American Airlines flight she had taken in September.

These articles represent only a handful of reports about hidden cameras found in vacation homes, coffee shops, changing rooms, cruise ships and hotel rooms in recent years. But how much should you really be worried, and what should you do if you find a hidden camera?

TPG turned to Iskander Sanchez-Rola, director of privacy innovation for Norton (a digital security software company), to get tips on how to spot hidden cameras, learn the steps you need to take if you find one and get the inside scoop on just how prevalent the issue is.

Regardless of your location in the U.S., there are laws that protect you from being recorded or photographed without your knowledge. The Video Voyeurism Prevention Act of 2004 prohibits anyone from knowingly "videotaping, photographing, filming, recording by any means, or broadcasting an image of a private area of an individual" without that person's consent in any circumstance where they have a reasonable expectation of privacy.

Several states also have their own laws specifically regarding security cameras and whether one or both parties need to consent to the recording of audio conversations.

These regulations would, of course, apply to a hotel room or the bedrooms or bathrooms in a vacation rental. However, most travelers would also agree that there is an expectation of privacy regardless of where you are in a home or room you've rented. Until recently, however, Airbnb did allow indoor security cameras in common areas as long as they were disclosed in listings, were clearly visible and were not located in private spaces like bedrooms or bathrooms.

As of March 11, Airbnb updated its policy on indoor security cameras and prohibited them outright. In addition to the full ban on indoor security cameras, outdoor cameras and other monitoring devices — including video doorbells — cannot be oriented toward indoor or private spaces (such as an outdoor shower). They also must now be disclosed to guests before booking. The revised policy fully went into effect April 30, meaning Airbnb hosts must comply with the new regulations.

Similarly, Vrbo does not allow any surveillance devices inside its properties, and outdoor security cameras as well as smart doorbells must abide by