Airbnb: Indoor Security Cameras Have Got to Go

Airbnb's "creepiest policy," as SFGate puts it, is soon to be no more. The vacation rental company will no longer allow properties listed on its platform to have indoor security cameras. They were previously OK in common areas only, as long as they were disclosed in the listing, NBC News reports. But some had still complained about being, essentially, spied on by overzealous hosts, and the new policy bars cameras from anywhere indoors. Outdoor security cameras are still fine, as are noise decibel monitors, but the new policy, which takes effect April 30, says all such devices must be disclosed in listings.

"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," an Airbnb exec says in a statement. The company says not many properties will be affected, since most do not have cameras. A privacy advocacy group applauded the move. "No one should have to worry about being recorded in a rental, whether the bedroom, the living room, or a hall," the executive director of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project says. Airbnb competitor Vrbo had already banned indoor surveillance cameras. (More Airbnb stories.)