Airbnb guests keep finding spy cameras hidden in their bedrooms

An Airbnb guest discovered a hidden camera inside his rental property in another disturbing example of the service's users being spied upon.

Jason Scott, an internet activist from the US, tweeted pictures of what he claims was a spy camera hidden in a burglar alarm motion sensor. Scott says he was sent the images by a concerned friend who found the item during a recent stay in an Airbnb property.

According to Scott, the device was an IP camera that was likely connected to the internet and used for surveillance

He wrote: "In "oh, that's a thing now" news, a colleague of mine thought it odd that there was a single "motion detector" in his AirBNB in the bedroom and voila, it's an IP camera connected to the web. (He left at 3am, reported, host is suspended, colleague got refund.)"

Scott did not disclose the location but according to him the host has been suspended from Airbnb and his colleague was fully reimbursed for the night in question.

His post has been retweeted 24,000 times since it was uploaded on 28 November.

The incident is just the latest example of voyeurism at Airbnb homes.

In October, a holidaying couple who rented a property in Longboat Key, Florida, discovered a hidden camera in their bedroom. Derek Starnes, from Indiana, noticed a tiny black hole in his room's smoke detector. Upon opening it, he found that it contained a video recording device. They informed police, who then searched the man's property and his computer hardware.

Seized evidence showed footage of other couples and the property's host, known locally as 56-year-old Wayne Natt, was charged with voyeurism offences.

"We don't know if there are local victims, someone who may have been dating, or a companion that doesn't realize they are being videotaped," police Lt. Bob Bourque told local news outlet WFLA

"I suspect there are other victims, it's just a matter of identifying them or not."