Airbnb partnered with Minut, a tech firm, to implement a “noise-monitoring solution” that includes installing a device similar to a smoke alarm in communal areas. Hosts can use their smartphones to monitor noise levels inside rooms. These devices can also be used to count the number of mobile signals within a property, which can indicate occupancy numbers.
Over 4,000 property owners have installed these noise-monitoring devices. Director of Big Brother Watch, Silkie Carlo, called these devices “intrusive” stating that covert surveillance devices such as these “are invasive, creepy or unsafe and Airbnb must be careful that their hosts and the companies they partner with respect renters’ rights and the law.”
Nils Mattison, co-founder of Minut stated that this technology is “similar to a burglar alarm or even an Alexa or Nest” and that they would not know anything about the movements of guests.
The Times – Airbnb hosts pay for guard service to stop parties