Advertisement
If you’re scared of hidden cameras in your Airbnb, Baidu has an app for that
Baidu and Qihoo 360 are the latest Chinese tech companies offering ways to find hidden cameras, a prevalent problem in China
Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
0
This article originally appeared on ABACUS
By now, most of us have heard those stories about hidden cameras in hotels and Airbnbs. They are definitely real. Now there's now an app that will help you ferret out hidden cameras in your room… if they’re connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
Chinese tech giant Baidu launched an app yesterday called “Privacy Protection Special Version.” The name itself doesn't reveal much, but Baidu Security says the detection tool will be able to find any spy cameras connected to a Wi-Fi network with the simple tap of a button.
Meet Baidu, China’s homegrown search engine
Baidu Security's researchers found that most spy cameras use similar technology. Peeping Toms often choose a tiny Wi-Fi-enabled camera that can be controlled remotely using an app or other software. After looking at the internet protocols used by these Wi-Fi cameras, Baidu developed an app that uses this information to detect cameras after connecting to the same Wi-Fi network.
This means you won't be able to pinpoint exactly where a camera is hidden. But if a camera in your room is streaming video out over the hotel Wi-Fi network you’re connected to, this new app will presumably be able to let you know.
Baidu presented Privacy Protection Special Version at a hacking event in Shanghai -- the same one where a security team from tech giant Tencent also managed to break into smartphones by using fingerprints left on a drinking glass.
Tencent, China’s social and entertainment giant
Advertisement