To think covering your work laptop camera is just paranoia?

[TealDreamer]

My friend always puts sellotape over her work laptop camera when she’s not using it or in meetings. I used to think this was a bit much but I’ve just discovered my own work laptop actually has a built-in shutter for the camera - so clearly, even manufacturers acknowledge there might be a reason to cover it.

She insists it’s because “you never know who’s watching,” and while I don’t fully buy into the idea that someone is spying on us all the time, I do wonder if there’s any real risk.

AIBU to think this is just a conspiracy theory or is it actually sensible to cover your webcam when not in use? Do you do it?

I bought a little shutter for mine. Super cheap online.

im not worried about work spying. I’m more worried I am going to do something stupid when I think I’m not on camera.

It’s nice to be able to do a quick visual check before I accidentally blow my nose and check if it’s turned dark green on camera.

Look up camfecting if you want to know more because lord knows I’m not good at explaining this stuff!

It's easy enough to turn the light off when the camera is on. It's not hard wired in.

There is software out there can be used to recognise stress through computer cameras. People are more likely to make bad decision when stressed I don’t think this is widely used in the UK yet but I’ve heard it mentioned in my industry.

I’ve got a very good friend who is a cyber security expert. He said cameras are the easiest things to hack. He covers his and told me to cover mine.

I was just about to say the same thing...

I have the mic and speaker muted and the camera shield closed at all times unless I'm on a call.

I once heard a workmate on a call to her mum, with her mic on. And at a previous employer (with thousands of staff) people accidentally broadcast themselves going for a wee and masturbating (separate incidents)!

The only time my slidey cover was closed, I phoned IT because I thought my camera didn’t work. It didn’t even occur to me that this was a thing.

I cover mine mainly in case I accidentally turn it on during an off camera call!

My laptop is on a desk in my bedroom. I always keep the sliding shutter closed (apart from for Teams calls) to avoid even the tiniest theoretical possibility of anyone seeing me doing private things.

Are there actually recorded cases of this happening?

it would be known, like Nigerian scammers etc. I’m just not on board with this. The idea that hackers would hack into a camera of a random laptop and watch for no particular purpose is just unrealistic

Why has no one pointed out that Sellotape is transparent, what good will that do your friend?

Tons of them! And even more worryingly, cases of people hacking baby monitors too. It’s been a thing for decades.

i believe a Miss Teen USA was hacked and filmed naked, as one prominent example.

I sacked someone for taking teams into the loo with them. Gross misconduct

That’s what makes me suspicious, the baby monitor one is an urban legend

when I say recorded cases- where are they? Do you have links you could share if there are loads?

Linking is a pain in the ass on my device but Google Robert Davies who recorded at least 25 people remotely in intimate situations, the Miss Teen USA who was covertly recorded, and Alex Yucel who similarly recorded people without their knowledge. That’s just off the top of my head.

baby monitors hacking is absolutely not an urban legend either

There’s a scam where you receive an email saying that somebody has footage of you wanking over illegal images and unless you pay X then they will send it to everyone in your contacts. They claim to have the footage through your laptop camera.

They don’t record you though.

I close the shutter more because I have a history of turning my camera on in meetings by mistake 😆

Just ready about Robert Davies bloody hell

however, as others have said we were really thinking about people watching you work from home, not a sex offender watching a child undress in the same room as their computer. I would now make sure my children keep there’s shuttered, but they wouldn’t be using the camera for 5 hours a day like I do at work so it would be much easier to remember when you’re not closing and opening constantly

Not usually no. The Moss Teen USA case I mentioned, the person who who filmed her nude did blackmail her over them though.

I seem to recall a thread on here in the past.

Parent went to use their laptop, only to be confronted with their daughter's female friend on camera, naked, getting dried after a shower. The friends had been chatting, both then finished the chat but neither ended the connection.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camfecting

Hacking laptop cameras is definitely a thing

Tape or a shutter over the camera is a sensible precaution

Well they don’t always know what you’re doing or target you specifically. They dial in and if there’s anything they can use to scam you or whatever they have in mind, they will.

i admit it’s not nearly as common as phishing scams or other malware, but it can and does happen, so I wouldn’t consider camera coverers cranks.

I'm not bothered. They'd get a jumps scare if they hacked mine and saw my mug staring back at them. I don't tend to just leave my laptop open so would never be caught changing or whatever.