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Original poster

Invited to dinner where every room is filmed

48 replies

christmasdodedodedo · 18/11/2023 11:03

So, had the strangest invite and wondering if there is an issue here or just odd but go with it.

Newish friends (couple, let's call them Brian and Judith) from a hobby group have invited us to dinner at their house. All very nice. This has been a longstanding invite due to certain delays.

Anyway, someone from the hobby group made a lighthearted joke when the group gathered recently about being careful around their ceramic collection they have on display (they referenced their collection a few times) and the hosts said there were no concerns as every area of their house is internally filmed so they can play it back after and see if anything inappropriate took place anywhere.

Everyone was a bit taken aback but said nothing but I'm beginning to think this is really strange.

Would you be comfortable at a dinner that is filmed in every room? Ever heard of this before?

The ceramic collection isn't anything particularly expensive and I don't get the filming is for that, it's just something they do!

OP posts:

AussieManque · 18/11/2023 11:47

@Chemenger but what if you get burgled when you are at home asleep in bed? You wouldn't have anything filmed to show police.

FictionalCharacter · 18/11/2023 11:51

So they actually said so they can play it back after?
That's the weirdest thing. They're not talking about security cameras that they can check in case of a break in. They're taking about filming guests in their house and playing it back to check for anything "inappropriate" as they say.
I would say I'm not going and be open as to why. Filming guests with the intention of playing it back is not OK.

plumtreebroke · 18/11/2023 11:52

I wonder how many people have internal security cameras that they don't tell anybody about. I don't have any but if I did I wouldn't tell everybody. Quite a few people have cameras to keep an eye on their pets when they are out.

Chemenger · 18/11/2023 11:59

AussieManque · 18/11/2023 11:47

@Chemenger but what if you get burgled when you are at home asleep in bed? You wouldn't have anything filmed to show police.

Nothing’s perfect. Both times we were burgled in that house it was while we were out. It was also a bungalow so we slept on the ground floor. Pretty difficult to break in without waking someone up, although I’m tempted to say I would rather sleep through.

Rosme · 18/11/2023 12:02

I do know some Russians that have this in their UK house. They seem to think it’s normal.

I assume it comes from a place of fear but I don’t know what specifically they’re afraid of.

floofbag · 18/11/2023 12:04

We have interior cameras . It's not for any weird reasons and the cameras aren't hidden . I never watch it back unless we need to check something . I can turn it off though .

Hbh17 · 18/11/2023 12:07

I don't know anyone who has cameras in their house - it's very bizarre. I think I'd be wanting to give this dinner party a miss.

Lavinia56 · 18/11/2023 12:09

I wouldn't want to go there. I would feel very awkward knowing that my every move was being filmed. As others have said, make sure you have a bad cold on the day.

Kayte198999 · 18/11/2023 12:10

Internal cameras are reasonably common. People use them instead of sensors in case of a break in. People even have cameras and microphones so they can talk to their pets. I think the "anything inappropriate" comment was about if someone touched or broke something in their collection. I doubt they ever look at the security footage - I never look at my Ring footage unless the door goes when I'm not in. I'd go, enjoy their company and the food and not think anything more about it. I'd also be filmed by CCTV in a restaurant or bar so it wouldn't bother me. I would check there isn't a camera in the loo, though!

VisionsOfSplendour · 18/11/2023 12:19

floofbag · 18/11/2023 12:04

We have interior cameras . It's not for any weird reasons and the cameras aren't hidden . I never watch it back unless we need to check something . I can turn it off though .

What do you check?

Who finished the milk and put the empty carton back in the fridge, who didn't put the seat down on the loo? Who left the back door open?

I would make an excuse not to go to the dinner or as a PP says tell them you aren't comfortable being filmed in someones house

Nanny0gg · 18/11/2023 12:44

I think if you're having guests round you turn internal cameras off.

Otherwise rude and intrusive.

GalileoHumpkins · 18/11/2023 12:48

I wouldn't go, I'd feel horribly uncomfortable knowing I was being filmed in a place where I'm supposed to be relaxing with friends.
I understand we're being filmed everywhere when we're out but in someone's home, it just feels off.

floofbag · 18/11/2023 12:50

@VisionsOfSplendour mostly what my beastly cats are doing tbh but they are in place of a burglar alarm which no one reacts to if they go off 🤷‍♀️

PickyCat · 18/11/2023 13:00

I'm so surprised by all the people who are horrified by this. As @Kayte198999 said they're reasonably common. They're not expecting you to get naked and nobody will realistically ever view the footage.

I think the only odd part is the way OP's host worded the comment about playing footage back to see if anything inappropriate happened. But if I knew Brian & Judith I'd probably assume it was clumsy phrasing rather than anything sinister. If I thought they were a bit strange then I'd not have accepted the invite in the 1st place.

Original poster

christmasdodedodedo · 18/11/2023 13:02

Thanks for the advice. I'm going to bite the bullet and ask if it was a misplaced joke or what or is the expectation of guests.

Bottom line is, no one will attend if cameras are on.

OP posts:

Bosca · 18/11/2023 13:04

christmasdodedodedo · 18/11/2023 13:02

Thanks for the advice. I'm going to bite the bullet and ask if it was a misplaced joke or what or is the expectation of guests.

Bottom line is, no one will attend if cameras are on.

Good call.

Original poster

christmasdodedodedo · 19/11/2023 10:48

So an update.

Yes, they do have internal security cameras. Installed as part of an overall security deal. They have no idea how to use them or view them or turn them off (!) and assume they're working.

Sounds utterly bonkers but also benign so we will go but be careful not to do anything 'private' just incase.

OP posts:

FictionalCharacter · 19/11/2023 13:37

christmasdodedodedo · 19/11/2023 10:48

So an update.

Yes, they do have internal security cameras. Installed as part of an overall security deal. They have no idea how to use them or view them or turn them off (!) and assume they're working.

Sounds utterly bonkers but also benign so we will go but be careful not to do anything 'private' just incase.

I'm not sure I'd believe that. First they said they could play the footage back so they could see if anything inappropriate happened. Now they're saying they had a system installed but don't know how to work it 🤔
Surely if you had a security system installed you'd ask the installer how it works. Or read the manual. You wouldn't just pay loads of money for a system that just sits there useless.

YetMoreNewBeginnings · 19/11/2023 13:39

christmasdodedodedo · 19/11/2023 10:48

So an update.

Yes, they do have internal security cameras. Installed as part of an overall security deal. They have no idea how to use them or view them or turn them off (!) and assume they're working.

Sounds utterly bonkers but also benign so we will go but be careful not to do anything 'private' just incase.

Given they said they could play them back I wouldn’t believe that.

However, if they are being genuine I think that update actually makes it worse. Who installed them? Can they access them? Where are they recorded? Who has access to them?

LeRougeEtLeNoir · 19/11/2023 13:55

But they didn’t think it was suitable to let their guests now beforehand??

Sorry but I’d be in my guard.
Either they don’t tell you the truth or they are weirder than weird. It would mean THEY are getting filmed day in day out, getting frisky maybe (once dcs are in bed?) and they have no idea what’s happening to those films?? Who would be happy with that?

jlpth · 19/11/2023 14:07

I think it's becoming normal. We increasing live in a society where police cannot and will not do any detective work for certain crimes - burglary included. So instead of detective work, people have surveillance.

So - in the old days when we got burgled, they sent scene of crime officers round and some fingerprints were lifted from items that the burglars had picked up and tipped out. eg my brother had a little money box that had been tipped out, so that was fingerprinted. The police also gave advice such as get window locks or whatever.

These days, you get burgled, nobody comes out or cares. The only way the culprit will identified is by CCTV that people have themselves, putting the images onto social media and asking facebook/nextdoor/whatever to identify them. Then they present the police with all the evidence and a name/address. Even then nothing might be done.

If packages are left on the porch and stolen, there's never any evidence or anything - unless the people have their own doorbell cam or whatever.

I was recently in a car accident. 100% other person's fault, on phone, not concentrating, pulled out of a side road with no observation whatsoever. She told the insurers I drove into her. Then when I produced dashcam videos with clear views of what happened before, during and after, and asked my insurer to report her to the police for lying to an insurer (a crime), they said oh, police won't care, she can just say the shock confused her.

Basically since crimes go uninvestigated, people need to sort their own security. I wouldn't really worry about going to dinner in a house with CCTV. I might be a bit more cautious if it had clear audio, but just video wouldn't bother me. You're just going to sit at a table aren't you?

MogHog · 19/11/2023 14:12

We have an internal camera for the kitchen. It's just used to keep and eye on the dogs when we are out and tell them to get off the kitchen table it's not something I view back and mainly forget it's there

PinkRoses1245 · 19/11/2023 14:26

I don’t know any one with internal cameras. Apart from to see pets when out the house, but only when out. I’d never go to someone’s house if they did. It’s so invasive.

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