When I come to Taiwan I’ll be staying at an Airbnb while I sort out longer term accommodation. Also, if I travel or tour the country on weekends, I’d like to find places to stay in interesting places.
Personally I am not so worried if they have the right permits, but more concerned if the accommodation is outright dangerous or has hidden cameras.
In South Korea, there were a few news article about the epidemic of hidden cameras in Airbnbs there. After checking for Taiwan, I also see that it has been reported in the news.
I’m appalled. What is the prevalence of such hidden cameras in Airbnbs in Taiwan? Do the police really take the matter seriously?
If a hotel did this, how much hot soup would they be in?
Culturally how would most Taiwanese feel about such a practice? At the outraged end of the scale, indifferent or making excuses for such landlords?
What technological means can be employed to defeat the hidden cameras, apart from the various guides online on how to search for hidden cameras? (Which may not be foolproof and the cameras may not be in locations that are easily searched).
Are wifi and GSM frequency jammers legal in Taiwan? What if I operate such a jammer in the confines of my room? I understand its effects will go beyond my room. Or carry one across Customs?
Not sure what the legalese is currently here (IANAL), but regarding this subject: in a world where the law - and particularly rank-and-file law enforcement - is quite a few years behind technology, it is perhaps more prudent to prioritize protecting your privacy rather than worry over coloring within the lines of an antiquated picture. I doubt customs would even know what to think of a pocket-sized jammer, but they are pretty easy to make so you could just wait until you get here. Perhaps a middle ground would keep the components separated until you arrive.
Hidden cameras are everywhere in Taiwan. At a sports complex I was using they had numerous hidden cameras. When I asked the staff what they were for they didn’t even know they’d been installed. There were 5 or 6 in the main entrance of the sports complex alone. All up there were probably 15 hidden cameras on top of all the cctv cameras that were set up. At one point I even noticed a weird red light coming from the drain in the showers. The staff tried claiming it was a light that kills drain moths but I put a chair over the drain when I showered anyway.
used to be a thing in motels as well as per VCD evidence lol. I doubt it is unique to air bnbs. not that its fool proof because guests could sneak cameras in too, but going to larger businesses would theoretically be less willing to risk their reputation.
I gave up caring if people see my balls. i just worry about protecting my data.
If OP’s concern is sketchy AirBnbs generally, it’s not just Airbnb. I’ve booked on Expedia and had to call the contact number to be let in to a nondescript building at the address I had. Many, many times. When I said “這是。。。的飯店嗎？” (“is this…hotel?”) on the phone, I got a whole lotta “who the fuck are you?” before I was corrected that they are a “民宿” and then told that no one was there to receive me, so I would have to wait. Inside these places are sometimes living rooms and the “hotel room” is just a bedroom in what is obviously an old-school house; sometimes there is a full blown, multi-story hotel. But clearly not licensed and always a pain in the ass to access. If you have to know a secret password or call someone to get in to a building rather than walking up to a front desk, it’s a good indicator they are avoiding the government in all sorts of ways. This includes paying taxes, following basic safety standards, and making sure there aren’t security cameras in rooms.
If you want to avoid these kind of experiences in the future, check if the places are officially certified as homestays by the central government (Taiwan Tourism Bureau).
Just search for the name of the place on this site:
You might have to try different spellings of the name, etc., cause Taiwan…
There a tons of good homestay owners out there. Friendly, caring, proud of their places, passionate about giving visitors a good stay. Running a good homestay is often hard work with little in return, so supporting the good ones, even if they charge a bit more, is the way to go.
Here is another site that seem to do some vetting before including homestays in their list:
I guess to draw out a point from @nz and @hannes replies, it’s easier to screw someone over if business is remote and anonymous. So things like the host not meeting the guest face-to-face may be a warning sign, while the host giving a personal touch (e.g. willing to meet to give advice for a new traveler) is a good sign.
Probably moreso that it’s not a legal accommodation and thus cares little about reputation. I dont find remote areas to be more sketchy. In fact, quite the opposite. I find cities to be the worst. especially areas with a lot of drugs and prostitution and related accommodations. those dont exist in the mountains
if nothing illegal is happening there and one isnt cheating. I dont worry about people seeing just another cock. I avoid free wifi like the plague though.
The host not meeting a guest face-to-face (especially after hours) is not necessarily a sign of anything illegal going on. There are plenty of good homestays. I have stayed at good 民宿 without ever meeting the host.
That’s why I said I dont care. you cant black mail someone that gives zero fucks about their natural body being displayed. if anything I would tow themalong and gather evidence to use them. but there are plenty of caucasian groins online, so I dont worry about it much.
for #3 I think this is just common sense by now to protect ones data at all times. I wont use their wifi. i dont do online banking or financials on phones because everyone knows they are the furthest thing from.secure. this line of basic diligence has gone from tin foil hat a decade ago to a no shit sherlock today. I choose accommodations with clean sheets, clean enough bathrooms and a tv. that is enough to occupy my downtime when traveling
If on a business trip, I go out somewhere private to do my business stuff with a (admittedly naively assumed) secure laptop and go from there. If I was quarantined due to government mandates, I would either wait or leave. not worth the risk.
But the cock is never the worry. if anything, an opportunity to get another paycheck. but it hasn’t .happened yet. Maybe I need to watch porn more often to find out
Yeah. But the keystroke logging - specifically side-channel attacks to eavesdrop or just plain watch keystrokes via hidden cameras - are techniques that are more user/website independent.
