A device designed to find hidden cameras could leave you feeling safer than you really are

Hidden cameras and other kinds of spy devices have become a big problem in the modern era. A new study suggests the gadgets being sold for that job may provide far less protection than buyers expect. Researchers from University College London tested 19 consumer surveillance-detection tools across eight interface types, asking 34 participants to find hidden devices inside a simulated living room.

Without any detector, participants missed 67% of the surveillance devices. Give them a detection tool, and the miss rate fell to 59%. This is an improvement, but one that still left most concealed devices undiscovered.

Finding a signal is only half the problem

Consumer detectors approach the problem in several ways, including looking for radio-frequency signals, scanning Wi-Fi or Bluetooth networks, and attempting to spot infrared light or reflections from camera lenses. The researchers found that how understandable the detector was mattered enormously.

Products that provided a navigable list of detected devices and clear instructions performed better than tools presenting users with difficult-to-interpret signal-strength readings. Then there are false alarms that increase anxiety, while unclear failures sometimes led participants to blame themselves.

Some designs introduced an even more serious problem. Researchers found detectors that produced loud sounds during operation, potentially alerting an abusive partner that someone was searching for surveillance equipment. This defeats the purpose of discovering the spying device discreetly.

The spy gadgets are easier to find than the spies

UCL researchers identified roughly 1,000 covert surveillance products and 500 detection tools available through mainstream online marketplaces in the UK. Hidden cameras and microphones could be disguised as ordinary objects, including USB chargers, clocks, and toys.

So the study puts some uncomfortable distance between what these detectors promise and what ordinary users can realistically achieve with them. Researchers believe that clear instructions work best, with specific designs for at-risk users also being quite helpful.

They also argue that improving detectors alone doesn’t solve the wider problem while covert surveillance devices remain so easily obtainable. A gadget that occasionally misses a hidden camera is already a bad detector. So if you’re relying on it, it can give a false sense of security and safety.