Update July 18, 2:41pm CT: In a press release on July 18, the Sunshine Coast Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the law enforcement agency investigating the guests’ claim, said that “after examination of the electrical outlets, it was confirmed that they were in fact electrical outlets and did not contain cameras, lenses or any type of storage/recording devices.”
A spokesperson for Airbnb told the Daily Dot it “is thankful to the Sunshine Coast RCMP for their investigation, and our hope is that the guests are reassured by their findings. Following their investigation, we have also reinstated the Host.”
“Our stance remains firm – hidden cameras are prohibited on Airbnb, and issues of that nature on our platform are incredibly rare,” the spokesperson added.
A group of girls on a birthday trip got the shock of their lives when they reportedly discovered a hidden camera in the bathroom of their Airbnb rental. Their retelling of the incident went viral on TikTok—and raised a debate about privacy and safety in short-term rentals.
According to a TikTok video posted by Kennedy (@kennedyallegedly) on April 20, her group initially dismissed their friends as paranoid when they raised a concern about the possibility of cameras in the house.
“We ban hidden cameras, and we are investigating these allegations,” an Airbnb spokesperson told the Daily Dot.
@kennedyallegedly Thank you Tiktok for saving the day #airbnb #stalker #hiddencameras #creepy ♬ original sound – kennedy
“One of our friends was like, ‘Guys, I’m really paranoid I feel like there are cameras in the house.’ And we were like, ‘Girl, you watch too much TikTok. There are no cameras in this house you’re just being dramatic.’” Kennedy said in her video.
These comments didn’t dissuade the concerned friend, however, who decided to comb through every nook and cranny of the property with a flashlight. They said they eventually found a camera disguised as an electrical outlet facing the shower.
Kennedy stated that her group promptly alerted the authorities and vacated the premises. Eventually, they said police validated their concerns and confirmed the presence of cameras in the house.
In her video, Kennedy asked viewers for advice on what to do next, suggesting the possibility of legal action against the Airbnb host. “Anyway, does anyone know if we can sue or like what do we do now because that’s kind of creepy,” she said.
Her TikTok video has since garnered over 3.6 million views, with many users claiming they’ll never use Airbnb again and calling for the TikToker to sue the company.
“For me, the moral of the story is Airbnb has completely gone downhill,” one user commented.
“Girl, as an Airbnb host, file a lawsuit against him and Airbnb. This host gives us a horrible name. I’m so sorry that happened to you,” a second commenter added.
“Literally done with Airbnb,” a third remarked.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Kennedy via TikTok direct message.
