A study by University College London (UCL) has found that commercial detectors intended to help domestic abuse victims find hidden spying devices may actually give them a false sense of security. The consumer detection tools claim to identify hidden cameras, microphones, or trackers through methods such as signal-strength readings, infrared lens detection, and scanning for wifi or Bluetooth devices. However, researchers at UCL’s computer science department found that many detectors fail to adequately help users identify hidden surveillance devices, leaving victims at risk of ongoing surveillance.
Study reveals significant gaps in detection tool effectiveness
Lead author Akhil Polamarasetty highlighted the disparity between the capabilities of spying devices and the detection tools available. “There’s quite a great disparity in the capabilities of the [spying] devices themselves and the tools that are available for detecting them,” he said. The researchers noted that if detectors failed to find surveillance devices, victims continued to be spied on in their homes unaware.
The researchers identified approximately 1,000 covert surveillance products and 500 detection tools sold in the UK through mainstream online platforms such as Amazon, AliExpress, and eBay. Hidden surveillance devices included small cameras or microphones concealed inside everyday household items like USB chargers, plush toys, and clocks. Often marketed as home security or pet tracking tools, the researchers and campaigners said the devices could be misused for spying and abuse.
Participants missed 59% of hidden devices even with detectors
The study involved 34 participants who searched for hidden surveillance devices in a simulated living room, first on their own and then with detection tools. Using the detectors showed only a marginal improvement: participants missed 67% of hidden devices when searching on their own, compared with a 59% miss rate when using a detector. During the experiment, many participants reported difficulties interpreting a detector’s readings, while other tools gave out false positives, causing anxiety, or missed surveillance objects entirely.
Polamarasetty explained that most detectors on the market are not designed with the typical consumer in mind. “Many people do not necessarily understand the limitations of such detectors and risk misinterpreting the results,” he said. He also noted that many detection products were not built with at-risk users in mind, often emitting loud sounds that could alert the person spying on them. “They’re absolutely not safe to be used when you’re living with the perpetrator. The devices are not discreet enough.”
Recommendations and calls for regulatory action
The researchers made several recommendations for manufacturers of detection devices, including making user guidance clearer and communicating inconclusive readings. However, the authors noted that these recommendations alone could not prevent tech-facilitated abuse, and the only real solution was to stop the sale of hidden spy devices. Co-author Dr Leonie Tanczer said: “Most technology is dual-use, and companies have a responsibility to think about how their products can be misused – at the design stage, rather than after the harms emerge.” She added: “A camera in things like a showerhead or a plug – I just cannot really see a legitimate reason for that without the intention to monitor someone without their consent.”
The UK domestic abuse charity Refuge reported a “notable rise” in victims reporting finding hidden microphones or cameras inside their homes. Policy manager Bo Bottomley said: “What is especially worrying is how accessible and affordable these devices are, allowing more perpetrators to weaponise them as a form of control. We urge the government to review how these products are designed, safety tested, marketed and sold, and to take swift regulatory action to mitigate the risk they pose to survivors.”
Amazon declined to comment. A spokesperson for eBay said the platform “prohibits the sale of many products that are used to transmit or receive signals or for covert surveillance, and all sellers are required to comply with our policies and applicable UK law. After investigation, we’ve removed two of the three listings shared and we are committed to maintaining a safe and trusted marketplace for our buyers and sellers.”
A spokesperson for the Home Office said: “We will not tolerate covert filming or the harassment of victims. The government has committed to updating controlling and coercive behaviour guidance to reflect clearer recognition of technology-facilitated abuse and we’re making it an offence to take intimate images without consent, including by installing equipment such as cameras to enable people to do so.” AliExpress has been contacted for comment.
