Commercial detectors marketed to help domestic abuse victims locate hidden spying equipment may in fact give them a false sense of security, a new study has concluded.
The devices claim to identify covert cameras, microphones or trackers using methods such as signal‑strength readings, infrared lens detection and scans for Wi‑Fi or Bluetooth signals. However, researchers from University College London’s computer‑science department found that many of these tools fail to detect surveillance gear reliably, leaving victims unaware that they are still being monitored.
“There’s quite a great disparity in the capabilities of the [spying] devices themselves and the tools that are available for detecting them,” said lead author Akhil Polamarasetty. The team identified roughly 1,000 covert surveillance products and 500 detection tools being sold in the UK through mainstream online platforms such as Amazon, AliExpress and eBay.
Hidden surveillance items included small cameras or microphones concealed inside everyday household objects such as USB chargers, plush toys and clocks. Marketed often as home‑security or pet‑tracking gadgets, the researchers and campaigners argued the products are primarily designed for illicit spying.
“These devices are so small it doesn’t actually make sense for them to be used for home‑security purposes,” Polamarasetty noted. “They’re essentially designed for spying on people.”
In a laboratory experiment, 34 participants searched a simulated living room for hidden devices. When acting on their own, they missed 67 % of the spy gear. Using a detector improved the miss rate only slightly, to 59 %. Many participants struggled to interpret detector readings, while others experienced false alarms that caused anxiety.
“Most of the detectors on the market are not designed with the typical consumer in mind,” Polamarasetty explained. “Many people do not necessarily understand the limitations of such detectors and risk misinterpreting the results.”
He added that many detection products were not built with at‑risk users in mind, often emitting loud sounds that could alert the abuser. “They’re absolutely not safe to be used when you’re living with the perpetrator. The devices are not discreet enough.”
The researchers urged manufacturers to improve user guidance, make inconclusive readings clearer and consider design changes that would not reveal the user’s efforts to detect surveillance. Yet they warned that such measures alone could not eliminate tech‑facilitated abuse and that halting the sale of hidden spy devices was the most effective solution.
Co‑author Dr Leonie Tanczer commented, “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 highlighted devices such as cameras hidden in showerheads or plugs: “I just cannot really see a legitimate reason for that without the intention to monitor someone without their consent.”
The UK charity Refuge reported a “notable rise” in victims discovering hidden microphones or cameras in 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. eBay said it “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 Home Office spokesperson 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.
In the UK, call the national domestic abuse helpline on 0808 2000 247, or visit Women’s Aid. In the US, the domestic violence hotline is 1‑800‑799‑SAFE (7233). In Australia, the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732. Other international helplines may be found via www.befrienders.org.