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?

except the whole point of a camera is that when I do use it I can see what it shows! Which is my face and my face only. A laptop would have to be at an angle nearly half closed for the camera to have a view of the keyboard and therefore someone typing something in, so how would that ever work?

This. I couldn’t live life in such paranoia

i use the inbuilt shutter but dont know why

My laptop is in my bedroom. Once, in the middle of the night, I saw the camera light go green, as if it were recording.
I jumped out of bed to close the shutter.

I don’t know if there’s an innocent explanation for the light going green, but it’s made me more aware of the possibility of being hacked and now I frequently close the shutter when not in meetings.

It's not. They can.

@TealDreamer poor Edward Snowden had to become an exile in Russia over trying to blow the whistle on this - nobody knows or cares what he was trying to say.

It only takes 7 photos of someone's face to use deep fake software. There are all manner of applications for this and reasons why criminals would want to steal or manipulate your likeness

Oh give over, stop catastrophising and trying to to wind people up needlessly.

we all have at least one doppelgänger and anyway, so many people post up their photos and videos on social media, if someone wanted to steal your identity they wouldn't need to go to the bother of hacking your laptop!

Transmission Control Protocol but it's as near as damnit

and I agree with what you said about understanding. It's all bloody gobbledygook lol

Mark Zuckerberg covers his camera with tape.

I used to do surveys years ago, and I covered mine as with the name of software that one of them used I suspected that they might be using the camera to look at you. Then I’m guessing rules tightened up and they started asking permission to use the camera to see reactions (which I always refused). So I suspect I’d had good reason to be what some might call paranoid in those prior years.

I cover mine, there are weirdos everywhere, especially online.

Yay dont say 😂😂

Im not a celebrity. It’s not something I worry about, because aside from the fact of no one would use my face, I doubt I’d even notice.

Well I guess we all better never leave the house then

If 'they' get root access to your computer, they have access to the camera. I remember hooking a naked PC up to the Internet in the 2000s and it took all of 10 seconds to be infected with a virus via an automated bot attack. Things have gotten generally better with Windows security - originally it was built without the thought of it being connected to the Internet. I'd say if you don't use it cover it. I've even heard people deliberately destroy their mics and cameras.

What's more a worry is people stealing your photos or locking them up and asking for money - ransomware. If you care about files, back them up.

Annoyingly there's just loads of abandonware out there, like routers, and other Internet of things devices, that could be ripe and ready for attack and become stepping stones to attack your home network.

research the game watchdogs 2 basically with the correct knowledge everything or majority is hackable, or the tv show person of intrest with the machine ect

I like to cover the camera. Just incase.

In 2019, before we were all using zoom all the time, I managed to strap on a Medela pump and express in from of a still active work zoom call.

Number of camera hacks and filming form parts of cases for stalking, violence and harassment, industrial espionage is not a thing of the past. Even when your camera is turned off it can be turned on remotely as can your sound systems (listening to you or your meetings). It may be unlikely for you but is a possibility. Your friend understands this. A simple physical barrier is the simplest of things to activate and based in the real world. Don’t judge.

I had my calendar hacked and someone started writing messages into it. Said they could see what I was doing in bed but in obscene terms. I doubt it was true but I keep the camera covered with a bulldog clip now.

I think there was a time some were hacked. I've not read about it recently but think that's where it stems from. Most people probably aren't hackworthy though.

I got that email! It was a horrible message saying what filthy habits I have and how everyone will now see my tastes and suggesting there was footage of me masturbating.

Despite the fact that I am the biggest prude in the world who has never watched porn, whose laptop is only used for very boring work, and whose worst crime in front of the laptop was probably a challenging booger situation in between teams meetings.... it had me spooked.... obviously I ignored it... but wow. It was nasty.

To me, it's just so easy to do, why not? I feel more comfortable with the camera covered up, just as I feel better with my curtains closed after dark. If it doesn't bother you or you feel it's not a real risk, that's your choice, but for some of us it's a simple precaution that does no harm.

I have a laptop and a separate monitor. I keep my laptop closed when I don't need to use the camera... I can work quite well with just one screen.