Barker family and a hidden camera in a Cork property they rented via Airbnb
On Monday.
Nealie Barker, from New Zealand, who was visiting Cork with her husband and five children, wrote on Facebook:
We are avid Airbnb users. We love the platform.
We just found a camera hidden in a smoke alarm case in the private living room of a listing. We were travelling with children.
The host admitted to the concealed camera over the phone, only after presented with our irrefutable proof.
The Airbnb safety team investigated our complaint (we provided photos and snapshot of video feed). Their “thorough” investigation which didn’t include any follow-up with us exonerated the host, no explanation provided.
The listing (with hidden camera not mentioned) is still on Airbnb.
The host is now claiming our accusation is false on the public platform.
Guest safety is not an Airbnb priority!
After this post on Facebook, the Barker family were offered a refund and Airbnb said it would reinvestigate the matter.
The host has since been permanently removed by Airbnb from its listings.
In a statement to The Irish Times, Airbnb said:
“The safety and privacy of our community – both online and offline – is our priority. Airbnb policies strictly prohibit hidden cameras in listings and we take reports of any violations extremely seriously.
“There have been more than 500 million guest arrivals in Airbnb listings to date and negative incidents are incredibly rare.”
Family found hidden live cam in Airbnb in Cork after trying to connect to wifi (The Irish Times)
Data Protection Commission investigating hidden camera in Airbnb property (The Irish Examiner)
What about the data of all the other individuals that stayed there? Surely a law has been broken
“The Airbnb safety team investigated our complaint ”
Yeah right they did. They don’t give a flying fupp
I don’t ever use AirBnb for the reason that they are a parasite on society and are doing realy social harm in our cities.
I also wouldn’t use them as they are a gift to perverts the world over.
+1
+1
maybe its a mossad conspiracy to discredit air b&b since the Israelis took issue?
Is it just urban legend that there’s an intro-only porn site devoted to AirBnB videos? At least in the case above, the eejity owner, who says the sole reason for the camera was to protect his assets, had an internet camera that was streaming live video and the hubbie in the guest family found the wireless address of the hidden camera when he was browsing for wireless connections, that was lucky for them. What about secret battery operated cameras that just record onto a USB which is retrieved when the guests leave, you’d never find that unless you had fairly sophisticated anti-bugging equipment.
Part of what is worrying about this is it means an unsecured live feed was being broadcast to anyone in the area.
Background check into the owner should be mandatory after that. He could be a Pedophile. That is really disturbing.
Why is this creepy owner spying on their guests? I’d be getting the shiver in my timbers if this happened
Leave your timber out of this.
the property should be seized and used for social housing, as should all properties used for AirBnB in this state.
Do you know of ANY political party in this country that is proposing anything close to what you propose dav? Notwithstanding the constitutional issues involved.
Even our left wing parties oppose property tax, which is out of step with most left wing movements throughout the world.
They should file a complaint with the Office of Data Protection Commissioner.
Absolutely. Where it would be handled professionally, I add.
Should report the matter to the Gardai.
air bnbs initial reaction was “we are invetigating” and then no action. Then It hits the news. They give a refund and remove the listing. They then say their first response didn’t hold up to the standards they set themselves. But this is rubbish, they changed their response because it was in the news. Even at that, their response is super weak. they’re allowing a probable pervert to roam free. If this is their response to a serious crime, what hope do i have tryna get my neighbour to stop letting his place out to stag parties every night for the last 4 months??!?! they said they will alert the landlord.. yea right .. just like they ‘investigate’ this camera pervert.
I reckon they are going to ask the Knights of Campanile to investigate…
https://www.broadsheet.ie/2019/04/04/wild-knights/
yea, the report back will be “the host was simply having a camera party. nothing wrong happened here at all.” I reckon air bnb didn’t do anything because they know it’s ireland, where crimes aren’t taken seriously by the courts, particularly ones of a sexual nature.
I love the way he’s instantly branded as a camera pervert and paedo
What other reason would there be to have the cameras there but not disclose it?
Other than being a f***ing creep of the highest calibre.
if there were cameras in the bedrooms/bathroom – then yes – the owner is a creep of the highest calibre.
if it is just in the living room…. still a creep, but a low-calibre one.
If someone were filming me and my kids in what *should* be a private setting without my permission or even my knowledge, I’d consider it high calibre creeping.
If it’s to “protect your assets” why not say so?
would you agree that there is a difference between *private* living room and *private* bedroom/bathroom?
No I don’t actually, in terms of a short term let.
I’m, if you’re paying for use of a property in this manner you’re entitled to privacy. If the owner wishes to put CCTV or cameras in there he/she absolutely needs to disclose that and indicate where the cameras are.
All I can say is I’d be deeply uncomfortable with it. I wouldn’t find it acceptable in a rented property or a hotel either.
The owner probably only installed it to keep an eye on a sexy babysitter.
Just forgot to disable it when these people arrived (with their impressive IT skills)
@millie – Firstly, I don’t think that this camera was appropriate. The guests are entitled to privacy.
However, I think that there is a massive difference in having a camera in a living room versus a bedroom/bathroom.
I’d be uncomfortable with the former – I’d be looking for blood at the latter.
I think in essentials, we are agreed, Cian. I’d say with something like that, it’s very much a matter of a personal reaction. Some people may be less bothered by a camera in a general living space, but for others it is a serious violation of their privacy
what i conclude from this is that the sort of things cian does in the bedroom and bathroom, millie does in the living room
You’re damn right. What is the sofa for precisely if not for pure unadulterated filth?
@Cian, it doesn’t matter. You’ve an expectation of privacy and if for whatever reason that isn’t guaranteed you should be informed. If there wasn’t any creepy reason for installing and hiding a camera, then why wasn’t the owner up front.
I don’t do much more than sit scratching my arse, reading or playing Division 2 in my living room (actually same in the bedroom come to think of it), but I’d still object to some random person recording me without my knowledge. Mostly because I don’t want it known I always play on easy mode.
BTW, GDPR could apply because the house was leased. That isn’t for personal domestic use when it is being used in a business operation.
The whole point of AirBandB for married couples (when travelling without kids) is to get up to acrobatic, multi-room nookie. So a camera in the living room is creepy and intrusive. Ditto balconies, utility rooms, stairs, attics and Stira staircase area.
“acrobatic, multi-room nookie”
I got some very odd images in my head imagining that.
Are those not flashbacks to your last date with the Brother B?
alas, millie
Ah, no. I didn’t mean odd as in window-licker. I meant unusual.
One persons window lick is another persons unusual.
True dat.
As I understand it, the owner of the property is claiming he installed the camera to “protect his assets” and there’s a question about whether the existence of a camera was disclosed in the listing for the property.
Having said that, in South Korea, there was a group making major moolah from broadcasting footage from hotel rooms. It’s rotten to think you can’t take a pee in a public toilet any more without the risk of someone videoing you, the size of the cameras means you just won’t notice them/.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6830399/1-600-hotel-guests-secretly-filmed-hidden-cameras-South-Korea.html
He is required to post a notice saying there is CCTV recording in operation.
@George – are you sure?
AFAIK legally this is a private residence and the owner can do whatever they want within their property. The AirBnB guests are just that – guests in his house.
it think george is referring to airbnb rules rather than by law
https://www.airbnb.ie/help/article/887/what-are-airbnb-s-rules-about-electronic-surveillance-devices-in-listings
No I’m referring to the law. They are not guests. They are paying customers.
sorry george
@George. I don’t know what the law says about AirBnB.
But if you rent a room (for payment) then it isn’t a tenancy – and the person has no (very few) rights. They are deemed a guest (and can be kicked out with no notice).
unless there is specific legislation to the contrary, I suspect that under AirBnB you are a ‘guest’ and the payment is moot. You have the same rights as a friend would if they stayed over.
I know a couple of people with those netcameras. Not sure if any of them Air BnB their place , but I’m pretty sure one does. Don’t know if he discloses the cameras or even has them on.
There’s plenty of good reasons to have cameras in your gaff. Obviously there’s a few duurty ones too.
Got that Friday feeling eh, ro?
“Not sure …but I’m pretty sure”
c’mon now, rotide
So they can check on the gaf without actually going over there? Or maybe to make sure no one’s invited 50 people over for a rager?
i always suspected Cian worked for the Government, and now he’s attempting to diminish the habits of a pervert I know he must be. Ireland is notoriously soft of sex crimes, and Cian is right along in that school of thinking.
Cian April 5, 2019 at 1:56 pm
@millie – Firstly, I don’t think that this camera was appropriate. The guests are entitled to privacy.
followed by “However, I think that there is a massive difference in having a camera in a living room versus a bedroom/bathroom.” .. meaning you put degrees of badness on spying on kids.
Ah now Cian
It’s pretty obvious who this Dr Fart has revealed themselves to be
I’d ‘ve thought you’d know better than to reply
You sound like you’re a bit of one yourself.
it was a live feed camera. Not CCTV. So you can rule out security reasons.
Did the family make a compliant to the Gardai?
Have you ever made a complaint to the Gardaí? I have for a serious offence and it is a massive drain on your time and a total pain. I had to call to the Garda station 3 times and phoned many more times before my statement was actually taken. I was also told the process of taking a prosecution would take a long time and would be a pain I was asked multiple if I was sure I wanted to make a statement.
I wouldn’t blame the family for not making a complaint while on their holidays especially considering it is not clear if this is a criminal matter. There are certainly civil issues here under the GDPR.
What’s the address?
15 Yemen Road, Yemen.
What’s the Air B&B address?
I looked into something like this for someone recently – the result was a little different but could apply here. In her studio a friend had a weird device that looked like a camera and after I checked it was, but not a conventional camera, it was in the kitchen and would take video/photo if a fire started and send pictures over internet. In this case it was triggered only by smoke / fire and it was an insurance thing. Could be similar here as not in bedroom or toilets?
why conceal it then?
Yes, but doing the durty can, (depending on technique), also cause smoke and fire.
Soft lips are open
Them knuckles are pale
Feels like you’re dying
You’re dying
You
Your sex is on fire
If that were the case it wouldn’t be broadcasting a live stream
Gonna have to factor in some 007 investigative time now in the next AirBnB I book. Serious buzz-killer this news.
What does the hoop get up to on the hoop’s holiers, pray tell
57 varieties of saucy stuff Brother.
regarding an actual prosecution of this type of scenario:
imagine the Pacific Ocean
imagine you’re the Gardai & you’ve been given one 15m yacht & spotter plane to patrol it with
now imagine you’ve got 1 million other boats all shapes & sizes out there going about their daily business with you (thats still 1 every 62sq miles) & mixed in amongst them are 10,000 boats belonging to potential & actual scammers, skangers & paedos many who have even been already identified/known since 2013 but you’ve just not had a chance to get to interview as yet.
that’s the picture
No it isn’t. They have an address and a means to find this person as well as evidence that the family have already collected. Whether or not a criminal offence has been committed is not clear to me.
As regards your analogy, this week I saw three gardaí arriving at a supermarket to deal with a shoplifter. One of them sat in the car the whole time. Three gardaí drove 10km to my house to take a statement on another occasion. Two came into the house and the third sat in the car the whole time.
Not very secret if you can stumble on it while trying to connect to the wifi, is it?
For AirBnB to be casual about it and not treating this kind of thing seriously is not good enough.
AirBnB should be reporting this to the Gardai under section 19 of the Criminal Justice Act aprt from any action they take themselves. Who cares if he’d delisted from their site? His own house and computer should be searched. It would be interesting to see what he’s downloaded
Using Airbnb is wrong.
There’s no smoke without fire