Counter-surveillance for normal people

You just walked into a rental.
Ninety seconds settles it.

Most rooms are fine. The point of a sweep isn't paranoia — it's being able to stop thinking about it and enjoy your trip.

I spent my career finding things people didn't want found. The habits that matter for a hotel room or an Airbnb are not exotic: they're four checks, they take ninety seconds, and they use nothing but your eyes and your phone. This site teaches them free, with the same honesty the book runs on — including which popular tricks and gadgets don't work.

Diagram of the 90-second room sweep: map the sightlines, run the flashlight lens pass, read the Wi-Fi, follow the power — The whole system on one page: sightlines, lens pass, Wi-Fi read, power check.

Free: The 90-Second Room Sweep Checklist

Want the four steps above as a one-page printable? Email it to yourself before you travel.

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The guides

The 90-second room sweepFour steps, no gear — the check to run when you arrive. Find hidden cameras in an AirbnbWhere devices actually hide, and the rules hosts must follow. Airbnb vs. Vrbo vs. Booking.comThree platforms, three different lines on indoor cameras — which one applies to your booking. The flashlight trickThe one free method that catches a camera even when it is off. The two-way mirror testWhy the fingernail trick doesn't work — and what does. Do detector apps work?What a controlled lab study found when 11 apps met real hidden cameras. Find a GPS tracker on a carThe 60-second check, plus the data your rental car keeps. Unknown AirTag alert?What the tracker warnings can and cannot do, and the manual check. Found something? Do thisThe order matters: don't touch it, cover your sightlines, document. Check a hotel room for hidden camerasDifferent risk than a rental, same 90 seconds — plus the housekeeping tell. Bugged? Here’s the honest answerAudio is a different problem than cameras — what actually finds a bug, and what can’t be found. Is a hidden camera illegal?The federal law, the state law, wiretap rules, and platform policy — in plain English. The Workplace Privacy ChecklistWhat your employer can actually see, and the 10-minute check that tells you where you stand. The Renter's Smart-Home Privacy ChecklistWhat landlord-installed smart locks and sensors can log, and the move-in check that tells you where you stand. Remove yourself from 30 people-search sitesDirect opt-out links, honestly rated — no paid removal service required. Is your smart TV spying on you?What ACR tracking actually does, and the one setting that turns it off. Is your own camera exposed online?The two-minute check for a baby monitor or home camera you own — not one someone hid. Neighbor's camera pointed at your house?What you can ask for, what the law actually protects, and when it crosses a line. Is an AI notetaker recording your meetings?Zoom AI Companion, Otter, Fireflies, Granola — the signs it’s on, and the lawsuits now testing whether that’s legal. Who else can see your doorbell camera?Police requests, employee access, and what actually changed in 2024 — your own camera, not a hidden one. Does your car report your driving to your insurer?GM's finalized FTC settlement, the data brokers involved, and how to check your own car's settings. Does your neighborhood have a license-plate camera?What Flock-style cameras at a gate or entrance actually keep, the August 2026 retention change, and how to ask your HOA or building. Does Alexa, Siri, or Google Assistant record you?The 2019 human-review stories for all three, what changed since, and the setting that actually limits it. Does your robot vacuum photograph your home?Where the images go, two documented cases, and the settings that actually limit it. Do smart toys record your child’s voice?Two documented breaches, and the four questions to ask before a connected toy goes in the toy box. Does your fitness tracker’s data belong to you?The insurance discount that wants it, and three real cases where it ended up in a courtroom instead.

Checking one specific object?

Smoke detector, alarm clock, air freshener, phone charger, a stuffed animal — the object-by-object guide has the specific tell for each, instead of a generic list.

Wondering what the law says where you are?

Hidden camera laws by state — the actual statute name, number, and what it prohibits, verified against official sources, not a paraphrase.

Worried about what strangers can already find about you online?

A different kind of exposure than a hidden camera: remove yourself from 30 people-search sites — direct links, no paid service required.

Cover: The Traveler's Counter-Surveillance Field Manual

The Field Manual — PDF edition

Prefer it in one place, offline, on your phone at check-in? The complete system — every check on this site plus the ten-minute walkthrough, audio devices, your legal rights, and what to do if you find something. 47 printable pages, instant download, keep it on any device.

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What makes this different

No fear-mongering. Surveys of travelers get quoted badly all over the internet. Read carefully, they say most rentals are fine — and that the habit is still worth ninety seconds, because the habit is what lets you relax.
No gadget hype. The most rigorous lab test to date found 9 of 11 "hidden camera detector" apps showed no reliable reaction to a real hidden camera at all. We tell you that, then teach the free method that does work.
Sources over vibes. Peer-reviewed testing, platform policy as written, and statutes by number — not a listicle recycling another listicle.

You just walked into a rental.Ninety seconds settles it.