I agree. This is totally stupid. I rent out a room in a condo that I own and live in myself. I have an alarm system with cameras facing towards the entrance and patio doors, as a part of the alarm system. Even I don't have access to the cameras, they are operated by the alarm company and only send them still photos in case of fire or an intruder. They will then send out police, fire fighters, ambulances or check out the place themselves, depending of the situation. As a single woman living by myself, I have installed this system not to check what the guests do, but to protect me from fire, burglars and other intruders (have had a couple of stalkers).
I contacted Airbnb, and they even called me to explain that I have to remove them. I tried to explain to them that these cameras are operated by the alarm company,not me, but that didn’t help. Then I asked them directly: "So you really think that I should die in a fire in my own home, just to make the five guests that I have per year feel safe?"
They promised to come back to me with more information, but I haven’t really heard anything. I will definitely delist the place after my last guest in June, a booking done before the new policy that Airbnb said that I didn’t need to cancel.