So the other day I turned up to a sit and noticed there was an internal ring camera set up. I’ve never been on a sit with one in the house before so I’m not sure how they work but it had a light on.
Luckily the HO turned it to face the wall and said they usually use it to watch the pets when they’re out, and I was relieved I didn’t have to initiate an awkward conversation about it.
However it just dawned on me, do they still record sound? Or are they sensor activated so nothing would be set off if it’s facing the wall? I imagine it doesn’t just record continuously, that would take up a lot of storage space.
Really wish we didn’t live in an age of super hyper surveillance with cameras everywhere!
@RR12345, specification per manufacturer website suggests yes - two-way talk.
Can you disconnect item from power supply? - our #1 approach with items that breach THS Camera & Recording Device Policy
Does camera have privacy cover? (Per manufacturer website, this disables sound)
Can you securely cover camera unit?
Other steps depend on duration of housesit; location of recording device; your privacy views.
No it’s really high up so I can’t reach it, and also the wire goes behind a big piece of furniture with lots of fragile items on it, that’s pressed against the wall and I can’t get behind.
They’re new to the site so I imagine they just don’t know they’re meant to unplug it?
I mean I guess I could stand on a chair and put a tea towel over it, but it’s facing against a wall so the camera is already essentially covered I suppose.
I have a Ring camera set up inside so I receive an alert if my dogs are barking and it records audio really well. If you decide to cover it, you may want to find something more substantial than a tea towel. You could also ask the homeowner to deactivate the audio or temporarily remove the device from their account.
The cameras, recordings and notifications are activated by sound and/or motion but can also be activated by the homeowner if they decide to check in. If the homeowner uses it to check on pets and forgot it was there, they may not have notifications turned on which would require them to intentionally check the recordings. Either way, I would be uncomfortable knowing it was there.
I see! There’s no dogs on this sit so there won’t be any barking which activates it.
The camera was turned to face the wall and is up against it, which was done by the home owner when I arrived so I think they made a point of saying we’re not spying on you - but I’ve never come across these cameras before.
Please be sure to mention the inside cameras in your review. Just the facts. That way, future sitters will know to ask about them before agreeing to sit.
Yes, I have a different type of system but it does detect and record sound. It is also possible to disable the light so that the recording can happen with no visible indicator to someone in the room that they are being recorded. I always unplug mine and put them in a drawer when I have visitors. A tea towel would not block the sound enough to make any meaningful difference. I opted out of one sit because they said their camera only recorded the feeding station in the kitchen so the owners could see if the cats were eating. But I didn’t want to run the risk of any of my private conversations being recorded - it is not just about my privacy, but also about that of my friends. If I’m talking with them about their divorce, or their job problems, or their political beliefs - they shouldn’t have their privacy violated because I am on a sit.
“ In our Terms and Conditions, our Camera & Recording Devices Policy states that during a sit, no internal recording or monitoring devices can be enabled.”
You can use google image search, snap a pic of the camera, google lens it, and look up the specs. If it records sound, work with ths and the home owner, let them know it must be disconnected.
