CREEPY

Family Says They Were Recorded by Hidden Camera and Livestreamed in Airbnb Rental

A hidden camera was reportedly disguised as a smoke or carbon monoxide detector.

A New Zealand family traveling throughout Europe reportedly discovered they were being recorded by a hidden camera in their Airbnb rental and livestreamed. “It was such a shock. It was just a really horrible feeling,” Nealie Barker told CNN of her reaction upon learning her husband, an IT security specialist, had discovered a camera disguised as a smoke detector in their rental in Cork, Ireland. She said her husband, Andrew Barker, had been tipped off to the livestream after scanning the Wi-Fi network at the property and finding a live feed. When confronted over the camera by phone, the owner of the home reportedly at first hung up before later calling back to reassure the family there was only one hidden camera in the house, they said. The unnamed owner reportedly refused to say what he was doing with the livestream or whether it was also recording audio. Airbnb, which Nealie Barker said “didn't seem to grasp the seriousness of the issue,” told CNN its “original handling of this incident did not meet the high standards we set for ourselves.” The company said they have since “permanently removed” the homeowner from the platform.