Hidden cameras: how to defend ourselves from those who want to spy on us (on vacation and beyond)

Hidden cameras are a real threat to privacy, especially when we are on vacation. That you are in an apartment for rent, a B&B or a hotel, the risk of being spied on It is around the corner. Small like a button, these cameras can hide in everyday objects, such as alarm clocks, digital frames, mirrors, power banks, USB chargers and smoke detectors. Better not to ignore this danger.

The idea of ​​being spied on in the private individual of our room, perhaps while we enjoy a moment of relaxation or intimacy, is quite terrifying. It is not paranoia. Second an investigation conducted by Cnn In the last ten years Airbnb has managed tens of thousands of reporting by customers relating to surveillance devices discovered in the rented apartments. Cases of news are recorded all over the world and our country is not even exempt, as evidenced by the recent condemnation of 5 IT experts by the Court of Milan.

The nightmare is not only to be spied on by hidden cameras, the criminals use these devices for even more disturbing purposes: The illegal diffusion of intimate images On pornographic sites, the theft of sensitive data when we use laptops or smartphones in the room, password recording and banking information. In order not to run these risks, one is needed a necessary awareness of the phenomenon and some precautions within everyone’s reach. Here is a practical vademecum.

How to protect yourself

1. Make a meticulous inspection. Hidden cameras are often tiny and placed behind small holes. Pay particular attention to unusual or out of place objectsespecially if they aim for sensitive areas such as the bed, the bathroom, the locker room. Remember that these devices can be hidden everywhere, even in pens, in the hooks for clothes, in bulbs, in toys or plush.

2. Light tests in the dark. Turn off all the lights of the room and pull the curtains. Make sure it is as dark as possible. Turn on the torch of your smartphone (or a torch that detects infrared) and slowly pass it on every surface and object, in particular suspicious ones. If a spy camera is often present of can see A small blue, red or purple glow reflect from the lens. To check that the phone chamber detects infrared just take a remote control and focus it on the lens.

3. Wi-Fi Networks Control. Many hidden cameras transmit data wirelessly. Download an app like Fing (available for iOS and Android) e analyze the Wi-Fi network to which you are connected. The app will show you all the devices connected to the network. If you see unknown devices or with suspicious names (for example, IP camera, DVR, Unknown Device), they could be cameras.

4. Dedicated apps. They are not always effective but they can represent a help of applications developed precisely with the aim of detecting hidden cameras, among these there are: Hidden Camera DetectorSpy Camera Scanner, Chamber Detector Hidden Spy, Glint Finder, hidden spy camera.

5. Professional tools. If your privacy becomes a particularly relevant question, you can use RF detectors for hidden cameras. These devices detect the radio emissions of the cameras and transmit an acoustic signal when identifying an active device. Intermediate quality models, which cost between 50 and 200 euros, are also found on Amazon. Raising the are also available i lenses detectors which use laser technology to identify the reflections of the optics, also working with descent or non -connected cameras.

If you happen to find hidden cameras, it is essential to remain lucid and proceed in this way. First of all document every detail taking photos or videos, do not touch or remove the cameras, call the police immediately. Then you can contact the owner or the apartment manager, possibly the hotel reception and then proceed with a report to the booking platform (booking, Airbnb, etc …).

Remember that the installation of hidden cameras is a crime practically everywhere in the world, in particular in Italy it is prohibited in different situations, especially if people unaware have not been informed. Prison penis up to 4 years in prison are planned.