Airbnb has announced a comprehensive worldwide ban on the use of security cameras inside rental properties, with the updated policy set to take effect at the end of the upcoming month.
This modification is aimed at streamlining the company’s regulations on security cameras, emphasizing the paramount importance of guest privacy. Concerns raised by Airbnb users in the past regarding indoor surveillance cameras have prompted these changes.
Juniper Downs, Airbnb’s Head of Community Policy and Partnerships, stated in a released statement, “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.”
Given that the majority of Airbnb listings do not currently report the presence of security cameras, the company expects this update to impact a smaller subset of listings on the platform. Notably, Airbnb’s existing guidelines permit the use of security cameras in common areas like living rooms and hallways, as long as their location is transparently disclosed in the property’s listing.
The updated policy from Airbnb extends its ban to outdoor cameras directed inside properties. Furthermore, the revised guidelines explicitly prohibit the placement of surveillance cameras in private areas such as bedrooms and bathrooms.
While implementing these new rules, Airbnb maintains allowances for the use of doorbell cameras and noise monitors in communal spaces. However, hosts are required to disclose the presence of these devices on the property’s listing page.
Airbnb emphasizes a balanced approach, aiming to address hosts’ needs for property security and awareness of unauthorized activities, while simultaneously prioritizing the privacy of guests.
This announcement follows closely on the heels of a recent Saturday Night Live comedy sketch that featured a parody Airbnb advertisement containing a joke about a hidden camera in a toilet. The sketch has garnered over 1.2 million views on YouTube in just over a week.
