Sawdah Bhaimiya
Updated ·2 min read
A TikToker went viral after she thought she found hidden cameras in electrical outlets in her Airbnb.
But a police investigation found that they were just regular plug sockets with no hidden cameras.
There are various reports of hidden cameras being found in Airbnb rentals including smoke detectors.
A group of friends thought they found hidden cameras in the bathroom of their Airbnb rental on Sunshine Coast, British Columbia, Canada in March, but a subsequent police investigation revealed that there were no cameras.
Kennedy Calwell, one of 15 friends staying at the rental, posted about their experience of finding the "camera" in a TikTok video in April which went viral.
She explained that one of her friends was "paranoid" and checked each room with a flashlight and eventually thought she found a camera inside electrical outlets facing the shower in two of the bathroom on the property.
The group alerted local police who searched the property and said there could be hidden cameras inside the outlet. Sunshine Coast RCMP confirmed to Insider at the time that an investigation was ongoing.
An Airbnb spokesperson told Insider at the time that the listing had since been suspended and refunded the group for the booking.
In an update posted on Tuesday, Sunshine Coast RCMP said that the electrical outlets were removed and sent to a laboratory for investigation.
But on June 30, the examination findings revealed that it was actually just an electrical outlet and did not contain any camera, lenses, or storage/recording devices. Airbnb, the group of friends, and the owner of the property were notified, per the update.
An Airbnb spokesperson told Insider that the host has now been reinstated following the findings and hopes the guests are reassured by the findings.
Calwell told Insider in a comment: "It's unfortunate because the police initially said they found cameras in the home. We would not have gone public about this if they hadn't confirmed it. I'm not sure why they've changed their answer, but if there were no hidden cameras we are relieved as this whole situation has caused us all an unnecessary amount of stress and anxiety."
Airbnb's policies prohibit hosts from placing recording devices in "private spaces like bedrooms, bathrooms, or sleeping areas," according to its website.
Despite this, there have been various reports of hidden cameras being found in properties by guests. One family vacationing in Ireland in 2019 even found acamera inside a smoke detector at their Airbnb rental.
Read the original article on Business Insider
