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No Room For Privacy: How Airbnb Fails To Protect Guests From Hidden Cameras

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5 months ago

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Airbnb | PixaBay Image

Another victim filed a lawsuit after her fun-filled vacation turned into a voyeuristic nightmare: A woman was secretly caught undressing at a rental property, and her photographs were saved on the computer of an alleged sexual predator accused of spying on unsuspecting renters for years.

Airbnb, one of the world’s leading short-term rental providers, has encountered this situation before. Typically, the company works to resolve hidden camera instances quickly and confidentially.

airbnb

Airbnb | CNN Image

No Room For Privacy: How Airbnb Fails To Protect Guests From Hidden Cameras

But this one turned out differently.

An Airbnb representative testified at a court-ordered deposition early last year, providing a rare glimpse into the company’s hidden camera problem: Over the previous decade, Airbnb has received tens of thousands of customer support calls related to surveillance equipment.

During the hours-long deposition, the Airbnb employee also stated that when a guest complains about a concealed camera, the company does not typically alert law police, even when a child is involved. The business may, however, contact hosts about complaints as part of internal investigations, which law enforcement experts warn could impede criminal investigations by giving suspects time to erase evidence.

A CNN investigation discovered that Airbnb regularly fails to protect its visitors despite knowing that hidden cameras are a recurrent issue in the industry. Airbnb’s corporate practices have also tried to prevent regulation of the short-term rental sector, allowing the corporation to avoid responsibility for guest safety and privacy.

Law enforcement officers recovered thousands of pictures from short-term rental hosts. According to CNN’s review of court and police records, as well as interviews with nearly two dozen guests who discovered surveillance devices at short-term rental properties or were informed by police that they had been secretly recorded, hidden cameras placed in bedrooms and bathrooms show guests during their most private moments – changing clothes, being with their children, and even having sex.

Victims say they live in terror that their intimate moments will become online fodder.

“This is neither my Social Security number nor my email address. “This is my naked body,” remarked one woman, whose host secretly recorded her having sex with her spouse in a Texas cottage.

Airbnb denied CNN’s request for an interview. However, in a written statement, a representative stated that hidden camera complaints are uncommon, but when they occur, “we take appropriate, swift action, which can include removing hosts and listings that violate the policy.”

The representative continued: “Airbnb’s trust and safety policies lead the vacation rental industry and include background checks on US-based hosts and guests.”

CNN discovered that several of Airbnb’s policies include considerable disclaimers.

The company’s website warns consumers against relying on its background checks to identify “all past criminal convictions or sex offender registrations … or other red flags.”

Even if Airbnb discovers a user’s criminal history, convictions for “murder, terrorism, rape, or child molestation” do not automatically disqualify them under the company’s policy.

‘The Wild West’
Brian Chesky was unemployed when he and his roommate came up with the idea for Airbnb in 2007 while trying to pay rent in San Francisco. They opened their home to three guests for $80 per night, providing them with air beds, breakfast, and WiFi. They named their startup Air Bed and Breakfast. Thirteen years later, the business went public with the greatest IPO of 2020, valued at $47 billion.

Today, Airbnb, worth more than Hyatt Hotels Corporation and Marriott International combined, continues to pursue the benefits of being a global hotel chain while bearing few expenses or obligations.

Unlike hotels, Airbnb does not own the properties it promotes or employs on-site personnel such as security guards, receptionists, or cleaners. Instead, it shifts the burden of maintaining and protecting short-term rentals to hosts.

And although hotels can be held legally liable for visitor injuries on their premises, Airbnb typically does not. Airbnb has battled such liability in court, claiming it has little influence over what happens at its listings while earning approximately 17% of each booking.

The multibillion-dollar short-term rental sector paints a bright picture, with commercials emphasizing how home sharing fosters human connection and provides intimate, private settings for busy travelers.

Nonetheless, violent crime, prostitution, and visitor deaths have regularly thrust Airbnb and its competitors into the international spotlight.

Hidden cameras are a security problem that Airbnb and the rest of the short-term rental business have mostly overlooked. Airbnb has been aware of the problem for at least a decade, and the firm has periodically informed its shareholders about it in annual reports since going public.

“We were aware of it; there were a large number of cases coming in,” claimed one former Airbnb employee who requested anonymity owing to a non-disclosure agreement with the company. The employee, whose team dealt with safety and privacy issues, stated that hidden cameras were one of the group’s main worries.

Despite these concerns, the corporation enabled hosts to monitor communal areas via video surveillance for years, as long as the cameras were revealed to visitors.

Chloe LeBrument, who visited London, Ontario, with her fiancé for a music festival last summer, discovered a camera placed in a charger in the bedroom of an Airbnb apartment.

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Airbnb | Pixa Bay Image

No Room For Privacy: How Airbnb Fails To Protect Guests From Hidden Cameras

LeBrument, whose host has been charged with voyeurism, believes many guests left the room unaware they were being recorded. LeBrument expressed anger and disappointment at the encounter.

“It felt really gross,” she explained.

In January, CNN began contacting former Airbnb employees to inquire about hidden camera concerns in the sector. In early March, Saturday Night Live parodied the issue’s prevalence in a spoof. Just over a week later, the business announced a ban on all indoor cameras beginning April 30. The corporation did not explain how it would force hosts to follow the guidelines.

Attorney Bianca Zuniga-Goldwater, who represents victims of hidden cameras in lawsuits against Airbnb and Vrbo, warns that if standards are not enforced, it’s similar to the Wild West.

CNN examined more than a dozen police investigations and lawsuits in the United States involving at least 75 victims and discovered that Airbnb frequently moves quickly to restrict user concerns and resolve them outside of court.

SOURCE | CNN

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Business

Trudeau Accelerates Bond Selloff Over Mass Spending Fears

Published

2 days ago

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2024-11-23

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Trudeau, Bond Market
Trudeau accelerated a bond selloff due to expectations of faster growth and a deeper deficit

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has accelerated bond selloffs, citing fears of a larger deficit over his GST giveaway. Investors were concerned he was returning to his free-spending strategy as an election loom.

On Thursday, Trudeau unveiled a C$6.3 billion ($4.5 billion) tax relief and rebate program. It includes a two-month moratorium on federal sales tax on various commodities such as Christmas trees, wine, toys, and books and a C$250 check for almost 19 million Canadians, or over half of the population.

The declaration looked to mark the end of a brief period of fiscal restraint, as Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland committed to contain budget deficits to prevent stoking inflationary pressures.

Now that inflation has returned to the Bank of Canada’s 2% target, policymakers have reduced the benchmark interest rate by 125 basis points since June.

Trudeau’s Liberal government sees an opportunity to dig deeper into the public purse, but some analysts believe investors are keeping a careful eye on the country’s debt.

Bonds continued to fall on Thursday following the announcement, as the 10-year benchmark yield rose 7 basis points to 3.457%. After retail data showed a rise in consumer spending on Friday, it increased by up to 3.488%.

As the Trudeau government considers additional fiscal spending, concerns about Canada’s financial situation persist.

Budget Shortfall

Freeland has yet to publish final spending and income figures for the fiscal year that ended in October. Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux predicts a deficit of C$46.8 billion, much exceeding Freeland’s self-imposed aim of a C$40 billion shortfall.

Despite promises to reduce deficits, the Trudeau government continues to increase expenditure. This year’s budget includes a new capital gains tax inclusion rate to balance the cost of new housing and social initiatives.

This sparked anger from investors and entrepreneurs but allowed Freeland to present a consistent deficit despite significant spending.

The recent declaration indicates that Trudeau’s government no longer feels restrained in its capacity to use economic stimulus to restore favor.

Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives have led most surveys by roughly 20 points for over a year. They have pounded the prime minister on affordability and promised to reduce taxes, especially income taxes. An election is expected in late October 2025.

The sales tax break will run from December 14 to February 15. The left-wing New Democratic Party intends to support it but has stated that it will continue to advocate for its permanent implementation and expansion to include additional items.

Let the Bankers Worry

Following Trudeau’s announcement, traders in overnight swap markets reduced their bets that the Bank of Canada will drop interest rates by 50 basis points for the second time in December, lowering the odds to fewer than 25% by the end of Thursday. As of late Friday morning, the odds were less than 17%.

The announcement also encouraged several experts to improve their short-term projections for Canada’s GDP. Analysts at the Bank of Montreal predict that the country’s GDP will increase at a 2.5% annualized rate in the first three months of 2025, up from 1.7%.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Trudeau praised his government’s approach to program expenditure, claiming it fosters optimism and possibilities for families and the middle class.

“We’re focusing on Canadians. “Let the bankers worry about the economy,” Trudeau stated.

Related:

Canada’s Budgetary Watchdog Warns Over Trudeau’s Spending

Canada’s Budgetary Watchdog Warns Over Trudeau’s Spending

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Business

Forced Sale Google Chrome Could Fetch $20 Billion

Published

3 days ago

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2024-11-21

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Sale Google Chrome

Antitrust officials in the US could force the sale of Google’s Chrome browser for up to $20 billion, demonstrating the tremendous worth of the world’s most popular web browser.

Bloomberg Intelligence attributes Chrome’s projected worth to its more than 3 billion monthly active users. The US Department of Justice is preparing to request a federal judge order the browser’s separation from Google’s parent company, Alphabet.

Chrome’s worth comes from its overwhelming 61% market share and its crucial role in Google’s advertising ecosystem. User data enables businesses to better target adverts, and the browser also acts as an important distribution mechanism for Google’s AI technologies.

Industry analysts think it may be difficult to find a suitable buyer. While tech behemoths like Amazon could finance the purchase, they would likely face regulatory scrutiny.

AI businesses, such as OpenAI, may emerge as more viable contenders. They could potentially leverage Chrome to broaden their reach and develop an advertising business.

“It’s not directly monetizable,” one analyst told Bloomberg. “It functions as a gateway to other things. It’s unclear how you would assess that in terms of pure revenue generation.”

Google opposes prospective sales, claiming that they will hamper innovation. The firm does not break out Chrome’s revenue individually in its financial filings, even though the browser’s user data plays an important part in the company’s principal revenue stream, advertising.

The DOJ’s suggestion follows Judge Amit Mehta’s August decision that Google had illegally monopolized the search industry. The judge will consider the recommended remedies at a two-week hearing in April 2024, with a final judgment due in August 2025.

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Appeals Court Delays Order For Google To Open Its App Store In Antitrust Case

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Bitcoin Has Set a New Record And Is Approaching $100,000.

Published

4 days ago

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2024-11-21

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Bitcoin

(VOR News) – Bitcoin broke beyond the $98,000 mark for the first time on Thursday as investors awaited Donald Trump’s second term as president. All of this happened during the day. As such, cryptocurrency has reached a significant turning point.

According to Coin Metrics, the top cryptocurrency was trading at $97,541.61 during the most recent trading session. Merchants provided this information. This suggests a price gain of more than three percent during the previous trading session.

When the period began, Bitcoin peaked at $98,367.00.

During the premarket trading session, MicroStrategy, a platform that facilitates cryptocurrency foreign exchange trading and serves as a bitcoin proxy, saw a 13% gain. Coinbase, on the other hand, had a 2% rise during that period. Furthermore, all of these increases occurred simultaneously.

The market value of Mara Holdings increased by 9%, which helped raise the valuation of mining companies overall. This was among the factors that led to the total rise.

Because of the widespread belief that President Trump will usher in a new era of prosperity for cryptocurrencies, one marked by more favorable laws and the possible creation of a national strategic bitcoin reserve, the price of Bitcoin has been rising steadily this month.

The most recent change brought about by the increase was the consequence of higher financing rates and more open interest in the futures market during Asian trading hours. The rise was the catalyst for this change. This action was prompted by the ensuing rush.

Throughout its lifespan, this legislation was the catalyst for this change for a variety of reasons. At the same time, spot market premiums decreased, according to CryptoQuant statistics. All of this happened at the same time.

Furthermore, a number of short liquidations have been sparked by the recent spikes in Bitcoin’s price, which has caused the price to rise overnight. As a result, the price has gone up much more. As a result, the total number of short liquidations has increased.

According to CoinGlass, these liquidations have effectively produced more than $88 million in capital during the last 24 hours.

Rob Ginsberg, an analyst at Wolfe Research, noted in a study released on Wednesday that “historically, following previous movements of this magnitude, Bitcoin has either entered a consolidation phase or disregarded the overbought condition as investors accumulate.” This phrase relates to the fact that this particular move has happened before.

Ginsberg stated this in reference to the evolution of Bitcoin over time.

Ginsberg’s answer makes reference to Bitcoin’s propensity to go through a period of consolidation. The comment also made reference to this.

He said, “Considering we are emerging from an extended consolidation phase and the price has reached a new high, it suggests that the pursuit is underway.”

The crucial psychological milestone of $100,000 is expected to be reached in the upcoming weeks, and this breakthrough could happen as early as Thursday. It seems likely that this level will be reached. There is a chance that this new development will take place.

This task will be carried out against the backdrop of this historical era. In addition, if Trump were to win a second term, federal budget deficits would increase, inflation would likely increase, and the dollar’s position in international affairs would change.

The administration that Trump would run during his presidency would be responsible for these consequences. All of these characteristics would positively impact the value of Bitcoin as a currency if they were taken into account in the order that they are presented.

The price of bitcoin had risen by more than 130% by the beginning of 2024.

SOUREC: CNBC

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