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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To cover my laptop camera

78 replies

Dustlandcinderella · 03/12/2020 16:45

I work for a company that seems to be very hot on employee surveillance. I’m still new, but I just have the feeling they keep an eye on what we are doing working from home.

So, I put a sticker over the camera so no one can look at me while working. I take it off for zoom calls etc.

My partner thinks I’m nuts, and there is no way that someone is monitoring me via my laptop.

Aibu?

OP posts:
VetiverAndLavender · 03/12/2020 17:17

A pretty little snip of washi tape adorns my laptop camera. I never use the camera, anyway, so why not take the precaution of keeping it covered?

VetiverAndLavender · 03/12/2020 17:19

I don't use tape to cover my cell phone camera, but I am aware of it and will sometimes put something on top of the phone, if I'm doing something I want to keep private (and remember that it's "watching").

JustAnotherUserinParadise · 03/12/2020 17:19

@OneTC no but I have a leather flip cover on it so it's still covered most of the time.

Gremlinpoop · 03/12/2020 17:23

I have to actually wear a GPS tracker that is capable of listening into conversations at a press of a button. I feel guilty just nipping into a shop to grab a sandwich at lunchtime now.
NHS so everything I do is traceable to me.

alexdgr8 · 03/12/2020 17:23

i use masking tape. better safe than sorry. who knows who's looking.
what is washi tape.

HowAreYouDoing · 03/12/2020 17:30

I always cover my camera too. Your not nuts :)

GlowingOrb · 03/12/2020 17:31

I am 100% certain my company is not spying on me via my laptop camera because of legal issues related to my work. I still have a little laptop camera cover on my computer (they are cheap and handy). I want to be sure when I have my camera turned on and when I don’t.

cyclingmad · 03/12/2020 17:35

They can monitor you just by looking at login in times. If you have teams or Skype unless you set your statys they can just randomly check and if you not at your desk it'll show you as away and when your using your device its showing as available, in meetings as busy based on calendar

user1493413286 · 03/12/2020 17:38

I’m not sure it’s legal to film you without your permission by your workplace. However I agree about the camera being covered is just sensible as these things are easily hacked.

olderthanyouthink · 03/12/2020 17:40

Who's going to sit there a watch you stare just below the camera for hours on end?

MacBooks are wired so that if there's power going to the camera the light comes on, it's hardware not software

WendyImHome · 03/12/2020 17:42

My mac has a slider built in to cover the camera, so you're not crazy - its clearly a feature people want! I always keep the slider covering the camera.

BashfulClam · 03/12/2020 17:44

DH is really sensible and doesn’t buy into conspiracy theories etc but even he covers his camera. He says he wouldn’t put it past his last company, I have a slider thing on my laptop that is always over the camera.

ImAllOut · 03/12/2020 17:46

@Gremlinpoop

I have to actually wear a GPS tracker that is capable of listening into conversations at a press of a button. I feel guilty just nipping into a shop to grab a sandwich at lunchtime now. NHS so everything I do is traceable to me.
Do you mean your job in the NHS requires you to be tracked at all times?
Tana433 · 03/12/2020 18:03

We always put black tape over ours. You just never know and its better to be safe than sorry.

nosswith · 03/12/2020 18:04

I wouldn't even take it off for Zoom calls!

DGRossetti · 03/12/2020 18:06

I couldn't WFH on a laptop using it's crappy keyboard, touchpad and screen. I had a decent monitor, keyboard and mouse ... which meant the lid was closed and the camera useless. I used a (much better) standalone camera that was only plugged in for meetings.

If I was using the laptop directly, I would definitely cover the camera.

MummaBear4321 · 03/12/2020 18:08

I remember my housemates doing it back when I was in university in 2012. I thought they were nuts. Now that I know what hackers can do, and how your webcam can be accessed, I have a plaster over my personal laptop camera. You arent mad.

TurquoiseDragon · 03/12/2020 18:10

@NaughtipussMaximus

That reminds me, my sticker has fallen off my laptop camera, I need to get a new one.
You can use a bit of masking tape. I use two layers.
Bippitybop · 03/12/2020 18:14

I do it anyway!

BertieBotts · 03/12/2020 18:19

Surely the light comes on if the camera is in use?

Emmelina · 03/12/2020 18:26

I bought a new laptop recently and it has a pop-up webcam, so I just keep it closed until I need it.
(The viewing angle is very weird, they get a lovely view of my lampshade. I don’t recommend it! A sticker over a regularly placed webcam is perfect!)

PrtScn · 03/12/2020 18:40

I hadn’t thought about covering my camera, but I use my laptop like a desktop, it’s hooked up to a monitor and external keyboard and mouse so my lid is always shut anyway.

Regularsizedrudy · 03/12/2020 18:48

You can buy special sliding stickers for it. I do it on both personal and work laptop.

cardswapping · 03/12/2020 18:55

YANBU. I cover mine and have taught my DC to do the same on their iPads and school notebooks.

I remember the BBC reports on all those hacked cameras in the UK (I think that specific report had found hackers were in Russia) and seeing all these corners of living rooms, people having tea, etc was quote shocking. They had no idea.

cardswapping · 03/12/2020 18:57

@BertieBotts No, the hackers can disable the light on Windows and Android products for sure. I read that they cannot on apple products but I would rather be ahead of them.