Airbnb Bans Indoor Surveillance Cameras

Airbnb said Monday that it’s banning the use of indoor security cameras in listings on its site around the world by the end of next month. The San Francisco-based online rental platform said it is seeking to “simplify” its security-camera policy while prioritizing privacy.

“These changes were made in consultation with our guests, Hosts and privacy experts, and we’ll continue to seek feedback to help ensure our policies work for our global community,” Juniper Downs, Airbnb’s head of community policy and partnerships, said in a prepared statement.

Under the new policy, hosts will still be allowed to use doorbell cameras and noise-decibel monitors, which are only allowed in common spaces, as long as the location and presence of the devices are disclosed. more

You are still on your own to find the covert spycams...

• https://counterespionage.com/what-is-tscm/spy-camera-detection/

• https://counterespionage.com/spy-camera-detectors/

An investigation by the US Congress into Chinese-built cargo cranes has found suspicious technology that could potentially be used to disrupt or spy on American commercial activities, according to a report.

The House Homeland Security Committee said that it has discovered cellular modems that were installed in cranes and which can be remotely accessed by hostile powers, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The committee’s discovery has fueled concerns in the Biden administration that cranes built by a Chinese firm, Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries (ZPMC), could potentially be used to spy on US ports. more

Singapore Sting: How spies Listened in on German General

Brigadier General Frank Gräfe has a work call to dial into with his boss - the commander of the German air force...What none of the call's participants know is that they're being eavesdropped on - and their conversation is being recorded. Two weeks after the call took place, the audio tape was leaked by Russia's state-run RT channel...Their man in Singapore had, according to the German government, sprung "a data leak".

But how were spies able to eavesdrop?

The answer we've been given so far boils down to a case of human error. According to German authorities, the "data leak" was down to just one participant dialing in on an insecure line, either via his mobile or the hotel wi-fi. more

Questions for executives... 

• Are the numbers and passcodes for your conference calls distributed via email? 
• Do you or your assistants post these at their desks? 
• Are the numbers and passcodes ever changed? 

Observations from our TSCM inspections over the years... Yes. Yes. No. Take a hint from this cautionary tale. ~Kevin

Peru PM Resigns After Recording with Woman Leaked

The scandal escalated last week when a Peruvian TV broadcaster aired audio clips of what it said were conversations between the two. Mr Otárola, 57, has denied any wrongdoing. A formal investigation has been launched into the allegations.

According to the Panorama programme, which first aired the clips over the weekend, the woman Mr Otárola can be heard speaking to is Yaziré Pinedo, 25... Ms Pinedo was reportedly awarded two contracts for work in the defence ministry in 2023 that earned her a total of 53,000 sol ($14,000; £11,000)...

In the audio clips, Mr Otárola can be heard declaring his love for the woman and asking her to send him her CV. The remarks appear to contradict a statement he made prior to their release, that he had only met Ms Pinedo once at a meeting. She told Peruvian broadcaster Canal N on Tuesday that she had previously had a brief relationship with him. more

Cruise Ship Employee Hid Cameras in Bathrooms to Spy

A Royal Caribbean cruise ship worker was arrested Sunday in Fort Lauderdale after admitting to planting hidden cameras in guest bathrooms to spy on unsuspecting women and children for months, federal officials say.

Arvin Joseph Mirasol is facing federal production and possession of child porn charges. The 34-year-old also has six counts of video voyeurism, all third-degree felonies, state court records show...Mirasol also admitted to entering rooms and hiding under the bed to record people naked...He remains in Broward jail as of Tuesday afternoon. more

You don't have to be a victim of spycamers. Learn how.

2024 TSCM Trend Analysis

TSCM Equipment Market Size, Share, Competitive Landscape and Trend Analysis Report by Type, by Product and by Industry Vertical: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032

Excerpt: "For instance, Murray Associates, an independent security consulting firm specializing in counterespionage consulting and information security for 40 years, provides TSCM and eavesdropping detection using real-time RF spectrum analysis, which is an advanced TSCM technology. 

In addition, Murray Associates, recently was the first non-government TSCM organization to offer advanced TSCM technology. The firm launched non-linear junction detection (NLJD) that can locate spy cams and other bugging devices even while they are turned off or out of power.

These factors result in innovation of highly discreet and capable modern surveillance technologies that are able to evade methods of traditional TSCM to meet new, emerging technical threats. The advanced TSCM equipment market is expected to grow at the highest CAGR." more

Career Diplomat Abruptly Admits to Spying for Cuba for Decades

A former career U.S. diplomat told a federal judge Thursday he will plead guilty to charges of working for decades as a secret agent for communist Cuba, an unexpectedly swift resolution to a case prosecutors called one of the most brazen betrayals in the history of the U.S. foreign service.

Manuel Rocha’s stunning fall from grace could culminate in a lengthy prison term after the 73-year-old said he would admit to federal counts of conspiring to act as an agent of a foreign government.

Prosecutors and Rocha’s attorney indicated the plea deal includes an agreed-upon sentence but they did not disclose details at a hearing Thursday. He is due back in court April 12, when he is scheduled to formalize his guilty plea and be sentenced. more

Germany Investigates Eavesdropping by Russia

Audio of the video-conference meeting was posted to social media by the head of Russia's state-run RT channel...

Germany said on Saturday it was investigating an apparent eavesdropping of a call, after Moscow said a recording of German officers showed them discussing weapons for Ukraine and a potential strike by Kiev on a bridge in Crimea. A German defense ministry spokesperson said on Saturday the Federal Office for Military Counterintelligence was investigating what appeared to be a case of eavesdropping, and that it was possible that the recording had been altered. more

Louisiana Deputy Fired - Allegedly Spying On Former Girlfriend

A long-serving sheriff's deputy in Louisiana who allegedly told his supervisor that he had planted a recording device in his ex-girlfriend's bedroom has been fired and arrested, following a brief investigation. 

As The (Baton Rouge) Advocate reports, David Pizzolato Jr. went inside his ex-girlfriend's apartment in early January, using a key that he had, and placed a digital recording device on her headboard, the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office said this week. more

Deadliest Catch Award: Alaskan Fishermen Possibly Netted Spy Balloon

The FBI will examine what may be debris from a balloon found by fishermen off the coast of Alaska, multiple sources familiar with the matter said Friday.

The fishing vessel carrying the debris is expected to return to shore sometime this weekend, sources said, at which time the FBI will get its first look at what was recovered. more

Book: “The Sentinel State"

IT’S NO SECRET that China’s government keeps tabs on people it considers potential threats to the regime...

As Minxin Pei explains in “The Sentinel State,” the most effective methods to monitor Chinese citizens are deployed not by machines or computer code but by other Chinese citizens: a vast network of informants mobilized by government agencies at the national, provincial and local levels. The numbers are so vast, and the structure so well-organized, that this “analog surveillance state,” as Mr. Pei calls it, ensures “the survival of the world’s most powerful one-party dictatorship.”

Among Mr. Pei’s eye-opening findings is that an average of 1.13% of Chinese citizens—up to 16 million people—are political informants each year, in line with the percentage of East Germans that the Stasi recruited before the fall of the Berlin Wall but on a vaster numerical scale, given the size of China’s population. more

'Big brother' Satellite Set to Launch in 2025

'Big brother' satellite capable of zooming in on ANYONE, anywhere from space is set to launch in 2025 - and privacy experts say 'we should definitely be worried'

Privacy experts are sounding the alarm on a new satellite capable of spying on your every move that is set to launch in 2025.

The satellite, created by startup company Albedo, is so high quality it can zoom in on people or license plates from space, raising concerns among expert that it will create a 'big brother is always watching' scenario.

Albedo claims the satellite won't have facial recognition software but doesn't mention that it will refrain from imaging people or protecting people's privacy. more

Nashville Funk: Eavesdropping Devices in District Attorney Offices?

...a NewsChannel 5 investigation that revealed the presence of equipment capable of monitoring conversations without the knowledge of employees and visitors to the DA's offices, located in downtown Nashville.

Documents that Nashville District Attorney General Glenn Funk fought to keep secret raise new questions about eavesdropping in and around the DA's offices — as the TBI continues its investigation into possible illegal wiretapping.

Those documents, recently produced as a result of a months-long legal battle waged by NewsChannel 5, reveal there were more microphones — and more concern about conversations being monitored — than the DA had admitted.

Among the newly obtained evidence: notes from a staff meeting indicating that an IT employee had "discovered wide range of audio throughout ofc." more

The $1.76m Eavesdropping Story

Mr Loudon, of Houston, Texas, and his wife worked in home offices within 20 feet of each other.

His wife - a mergers and acquisitions manager at BP - worked on the oil giant's takeover of TravelCenters.

"As a result, they frequently overheard and witnessed each other's work-related conversations and video conferences." ...Mr Loudon confessed to his wife about buying the TravelCenters shares after the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority began asking questions about the BP deal and who was "in the know"...The US Securities and Exchange Commission alleged Tyler Loudon made $1.76m in illegal profits....His wife - who was "stunned by this revelation" - reported the trading to her supervisor at BP.

Mr Loudon's wife moved out of the house and ceased all contact with him. In June, she initiated divorce proceedings. more

Dump of Chinese Hacking Documents - A Window into Surveillance

Chinese police are investigating an unauthorized and highly unusual online dump of documents from a private security contractor linked to the nation’s top policing agency and other parts of its government — a trove that catalogs apparent hacking activity and tools to spy on both Chinese and foreigners...

The dump of scores of documents late last week and subsequent investigation were confirmed by two employees of I-Soon, known as Anxun in Mandarin, which has ties to the powerful Ministry of Public Security... They reveal, in detail, methods used by Chinese authorities used to surveil dissidents overseas, hack other nations and promote pro-Beijing narratives on social media. more