Couple Finds Hidden Cameras In San Diego Airbnb

SAN DIEGO, CA — A couple who found hidden cameras inside a San Diego Airbnb is filing a lawsuit against the homeowner.

The unidentified guests booked a stay at a converted garage at a home on Willamette Avenue in Clairemont last November.Three days into their stay, the couple found the cameras in the bedroom and bathroom.

The lawsuit claims that San Diego police confirmed the existence of the cameras.The homeowner is being sued for invasion of privacy, inflicting emotional distress, distributing sexually explicit materials and distributing the videos.

Earlier this year a New Zealand couple discovered a hidden camera streaming live video on the host’s IP network in Ireland. When the couple confronted the host and later reported him to Airbnb, the company dismissed their claim.

The company reinvestigated the claim, and removed the host from the platform.

Airbnb's CEO said the company will now verify all seven million listings on their site.

Brian Chesky emailed the company's staff in November saying they will now undergo a yearlong process to check the accuracy of all their short-term rental listings.

This includes verifying addresses, photos, amenities and cleanliness of the properties.Airbnb will also implement a "24/7 Neighbor Hotline" for the public to report suspicious activities at rental homes.

The company’s current policy for hidden cameras according to their site says, “Our Standards & Expectations require that all members of the Airbnb community respect each other’s privacy. More specifically, we require hosts to disclose all security cameras and other recording devices in their listings, and we prohibit any security cameras and other recording devices that are in or that observe the interior of certain private spaces (such as bedrooms and bathrooms), regardless of whether they’ve been disclosed.”