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Airbnb Bans Indoor Security Cameras to Expand Guest Privacy Efforts

The short-term rental company now requires hosts to disclose other monitoring devices on properties as well.

Airbnb has banned indoor security cameras in all of its its property listings, a change that proponents have described as a win for privacy and safety. The short-term rental company reversed its previous rule, which allowed owners to keep security cameras in common spaces like hallways and living rooms provided that they disclosed the camera’s whereabouts in property descriptions. Now, all of those cameras are prohibited. “Our goal was to create new, clear rules that provide our community with greater clarity about what to expect on Airbnb,” Juniper Downs, the company’s head of community policy and partnerships, said in a statement. “These changes were made in consultation with our guests, Hosts and privacy experts.” The new rules were expected to affect only a small fraction of listings, Airbnb said. They accompanied rule changes which require hosts to disclose other surveillance devices like sound monitoring systems and outdoor cameras.