Airbnb Bans Inside Security Cameras 

On Monday, Airbnb announced it would be banning the use of security cameras inside rental history apartments. Did your heart sink like a stone in a bottomless pit when you just read some Airbnb’s have internal cameras? Mine did. 

Let’s rewind in time a little bit. Apartment owners had the right to install cameras in common areas in the Airbnb, such as living rooms, hallways, and the kitchen, under the condition of disclosing this information in the listing. Areas that were off-limits for security cameras were bathrooms and bedrooms. 

Thank you, because the bathroom and the bedroom are the only two places where I would be strolling in my birthday suit, right? 

Act Now 

In a blog post, Airbnb stated that changes would take place on the 30th of April. Although it was mentioned that the change would only affect a minority of rentals because most people didn’t complain about the use of security cameras inside. 

Juniper Down, head of community policy and partnerships at Airbnb, stated “Our goal was to create new, clear rules that provide our community with greater clarity about what to expect on Airbnb. These changes were made in consultation with our guests, Hosts, and privacy experts, and we’ll continue to seek feedback to help ensure our policies work for our global community.” 

What is Going to Happen Next? 

Airbnb made a statement that hosts would still be allowed to use security cameras and devices in outdoor areas, such as ring cameras, “to monitor security for their home and get ahead of issues like unauthorized parties.” It was made as clear that outdoor cameras will only be prohibited in areas that cross over the tenant’s privacy, such as outdoor showers or saunas. The company continues to state that hosts should disclose the use of decibel monitors, and they should only be available in shared areas. 

On the other hand, Vrbo, a competitor of Airbnb, made a statement that is filled with love to congratulate Airbnb and to market themselves as well. Vrbo mentioned in their statement that “we are glad to see our competitor on board with what we consider a base level of privacy for customers.” 

Better Late Than Never 

Several horrific reports have been done by travelers on incidents that took place when they realized that there were security cameras inside the rental history apartment. The story didn’t stop here; many social media content creators began to generate content to raise awareness of how to spot indoor cameras in Airbnb’s. The company’s action to protect tenants’ privacy and their name is a crucial factor that we should keep in mind. 

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