the harm has been done.'Įditor's Note: A previous version of this story implied that the presence of cameras in the unit had been confirmed. 'The fact that the camera was there - causes that kind of disruption to somebody in not knowing what's happened with images of themselves, especially in an intimate space like a bathroom. 'The collection alone is a harm, is a violation, even if no one ever sees that footage,' she said. Thomasen said most privacy cases like this often involve women and children and cause harm not just from the threat of the video being distributed. Gladman and Calwell said they have been in contact with a lawyer and plan to take legal action over the cameras they found. Under section 162(1)(a) of the Criminal Code, a person is guilty of voyeurism when they secretly observe or visually record a person who is in circumstances or a place in which they could reasonably expect privacy. 'It's not even just being watched by some person - it also could be distributed and posted online. And who knows what's been done with the videos after?' said Gladman. Gladman said the group can only speculate if the culprit was the Airbnb host, a previous guest, or someone else. 'It really could have been anyone in that kind of scenario,' she said. That also makes it harder to figure out who placed the camera there in the first place, she said. 'Camera and video technology is becoming increasingly sophisticated in ways that allow cameras to be increasingly small and to have the capacity to broadcast information remotely,' said Thomasen. Kristen Thomasen, a law professor at the University of British Columbia who specializes in home surveillance, said advances in technology have made it much easier for people to hide cameras. 'The girls started making makeshift weapons and hiding them under the bed. We all slept in one room together,' she said. She said after the discovery the group began fearing that someone was watching the footage live, and wondered if they knew the cameras had been found. 'You don't know who was staying there before us. How long had that camera been in there? There could have been families with children staying there,' said Calwell. Kennedy Calwell, who was also on the trip, said she felt violated after the cameras were discovered. According to Airbnb's policy, any cameras on a property in a common area must be disclosed to guests. The company's website says cameras are banned in bathrooms and sleeping areas. All we can do is wonder what was done with any of this footage,' she said.Īirbnb told CBC News it has suspended the listing in question and refunded the guests as it investigates the incident. Gladman said a few weeks later an officer told her in a text message the home was searched and cameras were found, which were then sent for analysis.ĬBC reviewed a screenshot of the text exchange where the officer wrote, 'We got the cameras' on April 7. Sunshine Coast RCMP told CBC News they are actively investigating the report, but said they could not provide further details. Gladman said she reported it to local police a few days later. The group, who had booked a two-night stay in mid-March, went to sleep feeling anxious and left early in the morning, hoping they were wrong about the cameras. Duration 0:16 Featured VideoPhotos and videos sent by the women to CBC News show outlets that appear to contain camera lenses.

Hidden camera video