Airbnb and the “anti party” provisions - Pixabay

Airbnb offers owners of rental properties worldwide a discount on different models of sound level control devices. Some users of the platform have received an email from the company on Thursday, reports Vice , which reproduces an article published by Vice Canada . The message suggested that they take advantage of the offer to "anticipate the protection [of] the accommodation against unauthorized parties".

Starting today, we are banning “party houses” and we are redoubling our efforts to combat unauthorized parties and get rid of abusive host and guest conduct, including conduct that leads to the terrible events we saw in Orinda. Here is what we are doing:

- Brian Chesky (@bchesky) November 2, 2019

The devices highlighted by Airbnb are designed to operate 24 hours a day and alert owners of abnormally high noise. The devices presented as "three of the best holiday prevention devices" cost from 48 to 243 euros approximately. Tenants of the homes in which they were installed must however be warned of the presence of these surveillance systems, insists the rental giant between individuals.

What about personal data?

The machines are not equipped with a camera or audio recording functionalities, the company says. One of them, marketed by the manufacturer Minut, also detects temperature changes and movements, explains BFMTV . Privacy advocates, however, express doubts about the lack of registration but also about what happens to the information collected.

Respect for privacy runs through everything we do at Minut and that is why we don't collect any personal data. Read more about how we protect your privacy: https: //t.co/RY1ethGgbc pic.twitter.com/JpFTrl16jZ

- Minut (@MinutHQ) February 25, 2020

"How this data is manipulated, transmitted and processed, that's where it gets complicated," said security researcher Daniel Cuthbert. The specialist wonders about access by third parties to stored information. Nils Mattisson, CEO of Minut, explains that the company has chosen not to collect or transmit personal data. For him, this is the "best way to preserve privacy".

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  • Video surveillance
  • World
  • Airbnb
  • High-Tech
  • Personal data