Oregon bill would let hotel guests sue over photos, videos taken in private spaces

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A bill making its way through the Oregon Legislature would allow guests at hotels and other vacation rentals to sue if they are filmed or photographed in private.

Current state law allows photos and videos to be taken without explicit consent so long as those in the images are not nude. 

Senate Bill 470, if passed, would expand the rights of guests to not be filmed or photographed inside the privacy of their hotel or vacation rental, such as an Airbnb.

Senator Anthony Broadman (D-Bend) carried the bill on the Senate floor and said it was a response to “real-life experiences of guests being videorecorded when they expected privacy.”

“Nothing in the bill prohibits a hotel or short-term host from recording common areas such as lobbies, stairwells, or exterior exits,” Broadman said. “It would not be appropriate to position or direct cameras inside the private space someone rents, like a hotel room or a vacation condo.”

The bill received unanimous support in the Oregon Senate and will next be considered by the Oregon House of Representatives.