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Oh, to have 5 million eyes and be an omnipresent being of light and darkness… Sadly, we have to be content with the slightly blurry eyeballs that we humans are born with, as well as the fact that we can’t look after all sides of the home when we’re focusing on not burning the pasta. Priorities.
Thankfully, modern technology has allowed us to come close to the first described being, especially with the onset of nanny cameras, otherwise known as indoor security cameras. Their accessible pricing has made these little things some of the most popular home devices, as well as some of the most controversial.
They’re usually undetectable, placed strategically throughout one’s home in an effort to monitor what the nanny or babysitter is doing while on the job, to look over the pets whilst we’re away, or to catch a sneaky neighbor stealing some sugar. Or the TV. Whichever is of necessity, I suppose.
Jokes aside, nanny cams are great tools that provide a sense of control over the matters that matter most. They can prevent and document child abuse, provide evidence for prosecution, and show potential areas of improvement that would have not been known otherwise. As shared by people in this list, they can also capture paranormal activity and infidelity in action.
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Many of the cameras turn on when motion is detected, providing the ability to watch all the interesting bits in real time or record them for later. Some even record audio and have an in-built microphone that allows you to communicate with anyone in the home, as if you were a ghost haunting the pantry.
This Old House Reviews explain that there are three different types of nanny cams: independent indoor cameras, cameras that are a part of a home security system, and hidden cameras. The last on this list are the ones that many of these unfortunate situations were captured on; no one needs to pretend when they’re not being watched, or so is believed to be the case.
If you do decide to get one, there’s quite a bit to consider. This Old House Reviews advise buyers to consider the size and shape of the camera and how it’ll fit with the rest of the décor, the resolution and recording options, as well as night vision settings.
Then comes the power source—does the camera use batteries or can it be plugged in? Do you want it to be a part of your smart home system, connecting to devices like Amazon’s Alexa or Google Assistant? Do you want any special features like face detection and animal distinguishment? Quite a few elements to decide upon!
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It was not actually nanny cams per se. She has 3 cats and apparently while she was at work, they were damaging things in the house.
She set up the cameras to find out which cat was the culprit, and how it could be stopped.
Here come the ethical and legal considerations! “Each state has laws regarding whether it is legal to record someone without their consent,” explains Thomas Simeone, an attorney and an adjunct law professor in Washington, D.C.
“Anyone installing a nanny cam should definitely determine the law of the state in which they live before doing so. Violating the statute can open a parent up to severe penalties.”
The impulse to be able to monitor what a nanny or sitter does is understandable. But nanny cams can’t really distinguish who they should and shouldn’t record. “Nanny cams will record others beside the nanny, such as guests, playmates of the children, delivery people, repair technicians, and guests of the parents,” he explains. “These people also may have rights not to be recorded without their consent.”
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Although all US states allow for video recording with a reasonable cause, the most discussed is the audio recording law. In the US, 38 states allow you to record the conversation as long as you are there, and 12 states forbid the practice without the other party knowing. Those states are California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Washington.
But the law is one thing; the potential emotional damage that comes with the breaking of another’s privacy is another. A nanny cam can be seen as a violation of trust, hurting the people that it was recording without them knowing.
Potentially the best way to approach this is to be open with everyone entering the household that they will be recorded. Of course, there should be rooms where privacy is ensured, such as bathrooms and private bedrooms. Finally, don’t keep the recordings if it’s not necessary to do so.
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I instantly ran into their room, where my babies were just talking to each other.
My mom and I used to joke that if one of us in the family passed, we would try and give each other a sign we were ok after we left this plane of existance. I'd like to think it was my mom letting me know she made it wherever she needed to be, safely.
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Lastly, every bit of technology has its weak points. Very few realize the fact that in-home surveillance equipment is relatively easy to hack into with over-the-counter devices, as seen in some of these items on the list. Whether by accident or on purpose, the technology is simple enough to manipulate.
Furthermore, the footage may be used for nefarious purposes by said hackers, either to scope out the layout and belongings of your home, to spy on you and your family, or to capture personal details about your life to use for blackmail purposes.
But let us know, dear Pandas, what do you think about having said cameras in the home? Do you have your own stories to share? Enjoy the rest of this list, full of the most wholesome and the most weird stories, and I shall see you in the next one!
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