Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

General discussion

Should I be blocking my laptop's camera?

Aug 24, 2018 5:40PM PDT

On my train commute to work, I started to notice more and more of this behavior on people's laptops. More often than not, people have a piece of masking tape or sticky note blocking their laptop camera. Are people just paranoid that the camera may suddenly start recording them or is it because they are camera-shy during video conferences? I personally do not block my camera on my laptop, but it has got me thinking about it. Should I be, but for what reason? Maybe I'm overthinking this, but I am curious as to why people do it and if you do, why? If for laptops, should they be covering up their phone cameras too? Looking forward to what you think. Thank you.

--Submitted by Karen A.

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
A quick way to help you decide
Sep 2, 2018 10:08AM PDT

It’s really pretty simple: if you are the kind of person that regularly finds that you’ve got viruses on your PC, regardless of how safe you think you’ve been, then you should likely cover the camera. On the other hand, if your PC is clean and you consider yourself security concious and cautious about clicking links, then you are likely ok. Keep in mind that the amount of work it would take to hack a specific PC when the owner is security aware is non trivial, and only a likely target if you are KNOWN to keep confidential data on it ( like a well known auditor that keeps large lists of banking codes on his/her PC)

Don’t let paranoia get the best of you....

- Collapse -
Finally
Sep 4, 2018 11:12PM PDT

Someone agrees with me. I'm convinced now, that there is a generational related gap in the thinking here. While I agree it's not much work to cover it, and if you are paranoid, cover it by ant means you prefer. It seems the older people don't suffer from what their contact list thinks of them. Of course, I can only speak for myself, but I don't care if anyone knows I occasionally read or watch porn. I'm saying it here, now all of you know it too. Because I'm not concerned about it, the worry of trying to get me to pay a ransom is laughable. Finally, there is nothing I discuss with anybody that would be worthwhile to anyone. This whole discussion has gone off the rails, in my opinion. I toy with the fake phone calls about my unpaid taxes too. A little tip for everyone, if you get a scam call from 'Windows' or the 'IRS', just use one of those porn words and they will hang up on you.

- Collapse -
Oh, really?
Sep 5, 2018 3:41PM PDT

I suggest that if you really didn't care what other people think of you that you'd use your name rather than djs1612.

- Collapse -
OK guys.
Sep 5, 2018 3:53PM PDT
- Collapse -
Repeating
Sep 5, 2018 8:43PM PDT

I agree, and apologize for my part.

- Collapse -
Interesting reply
Sep 5, 2018 8:42PM PDT

Let me think, a "suggestion" from someone named 'rrmram' has something to say about my initials and address for an email address? Well, most people that know me from social sites, also know my email address. The moderator here doesn't want this thread to degenerate any farther than it already has. I'm not sure what has offended you rrmram, but as I said, I can't be too concerned about you either. I can't really say I'm sorry to you, because I'm not, but I do apologize to the moderator, and the rest of the readers. I made a few more comments on this topic than I intended. It started good natured enough, because it was stated that nobody that didn't cover their camera would comment. I'm really still baffled about what everybody is talking about that means their mic. needs covering. I guess my life is just dull and irrelevant, compared to a millennial that has the earth revolving around them. .

- Collapse -
Business
Sep 5, 2018 11:40PM PDT

Remember that this doesn't just revolve around your home life. There was a time when many companies did not allow cameras or mics of ANY kind inside the facility (government contractors, for example) and many businesses don't want their information discussed in front of these devices either. Companies also banned Google Glass because they read that everything GG saw was sent up to Google whether the user wanted it to or not because that is how it did face recognition (there wasn't enough storage or compute power to have it done by the device itself. A bit off topic. But don't just think of the home use; think about what businesses are concerned about. Otherwise, everyone is entitled to do or not do what they please. Many businesses dictate that, if equipment is in an office, they have the right to control what devices see. Hope this helps and makes sense to you.

- Collapse -
Correct
Sep 6, 2018 12:03AM PDT

I agree, my posts have all been relative to my home computer. As the IT Manager, I wouldn't be on porn sites in a work environment, when I was a lower level mgr at an Insurance Co., their company issued laptops had camera and mic disabled. Although I never checked I assume they disabled in device manager or put dummy drivers in. They did mass cloning for all the units, so every employee got the same thing.
I had many instances of employees wanting to alter company desktops, so I'm real familiar with the legal issues and it simply is company property. We never issued laptops to employees, only top execs got them, and the word dictate was very appropriate at that company.

- Collapse -
The OP
Sep 6, 2018 12:25AM PDT

The OP noted that he saw these laptops with the tape on his commute to work. So the laptops were being transported from home into a business. It stands to reason that businesses don't want any kinds of cameras that even can look at a screen with customer/constituent data on it. They don't want audio nor video sent out. I'm not saying anything about home use, unless, of course, you work from home, have Skype meetings with workers, etc.. Some businesses do various things in terms of devices. But it depends a lot on if they are doing top secret (actual term) government work of development of special commercial products. So, everything is always relative especially in a work environment as you noted.

- Collapse -
To Clarify
Sep 6, 2018 5:25PM PDT

Yes, @Hforman, we agree I was trying to clarify that I was talking about my home machine only. A work machine is their property and they make the decision. I guess Lee Koo can answer how it was intended.

- Collapse -
Excellent point!
Sep 6, 2018 12:07AM PDT

And not a bit off topic.

I remember that the Global Player I workked for also banned any cameras onsite. Then the first cell phone cameras were ignored - I guess since they could not really be used to make a lagible copy of an A4 (or letter) sized page. But some of my customers would collect phones at reception - for a while. Soon they gave up. Even the laptops they gave their staff had working cameras from some point onwards.

The whole thing is ironic, in a way. On one hand, current cell phones come with built-in cameras that one could actually use for spying; at least they are much better at that than the Minox cameras that all spies in the movies always used. On the other hand, most spies now would strive to get a copy of the electronic documents rather than a photo of a printout ... and even with above-average IT security it is not unheard of that such documents got copied by clever hackers from time to time.

- Collapse -
Some People Only THINK They Are Careful
Sep 5, 2018 10:39AM PDT

My boss once told me that. Says he did not use any security software: "It slows down my computer". He said he was very careful how he surfed... Then, one day he brought in his laptop and hooked into the network and, according to people with big mouths in the central IT department, he caused a complete shutdown of the enterprise network (the malware kept pounding away at the network and all of the "unprotected" departments got nailed.

But what are we talking about? A one square inch of black tape? What it really is: "How lucky do you feel".

By the way, if you go to ANY web page and see advertisements, if you used Ghostery, you'd find that you are passing through a field of 30-100 websites that are considered "trackers". But its really up to you.

- Collapse -
Blue Painter Tape!
Sep 2, 2018 10:18AM PDT

I use a piece of blue painter tape to cover mine! It sticks well, without getting gooey. I do surveys often and occasionally they want to track my eyes or get a video response to questions. I always deny them but before I can click 'no' the camera is turned on so I can get positioned. It's funny how quickly I will see the oval on my screen - empty and proof they can't see through the blue painter tape. I'm always glad I've got it covered because of how quickly they are able to turn it on before I can turn it off.

- Collapse -
Yes. Block it.
Sep 2, 2018 2:07PM PDT
- Collapse -
The camera is the least of your problems
Sep 2, 2018 6:31PM PDT

There is certainly no problem with covering your camera and actually you can purchase a small slide cover that allows you to open and close the camera instead of using a piece of tape. But if someone is actually accessing and controlling your camera, then you have a lot more to be worried about. They also have access to all of your data, could be logging your usernames and passwords for all of your accounts and stealing your documents and photos. I have seen too many people cover their camera and suddenly think that they are safe????? YOU ARE NOT

- Collapse -
Yes, why take a chance. One less worry.
Sep 3, 2018 5:47AM PDT

We have a post it note on our laptop, my husband has his desktop camera covered as well and my desktop camera has a 'shade' that I keep closed.

About the microphone, would some sort of dummy plug in the headphone jack do the trick to stop any unintended broadcasts? That used to be a rich to crest s dead short on a tape recorder for what reason I forget

- Collapse -
Oops sorry
Sep 3, 2018 5:49AM PDT

I really need to turn off auto correct on my phone. Hope you can interpret my message as I see no way to edit my original post.

- Collapse -
what I can't work out ...
Sep 3, 2018 6:11AM PDT

Is the "rich creast s ..." and so on.

I could see a short circuit plug in the mike connector creating silence, but that wouldn't affect a separate built-in mike, nevessarily. Shorting the headphone output might destroy the power stage of the amplifier, depending on how it was designed - it shouldn't, of course ... (but it most likely wouldn't affect the mike input.)

- Collapse -
Agree
Sep 3, 2018 10:09AM PDT

It's unfortunate we can't edit our post, bot my answer was NO, I could not interpret your message. So, maybe your next Oops sorry could interpret for us?

- Collapse -
Tape or label over camera
Sep 4, 2018 2:51PM PDT

I don't think anyone has gotten to my laptop's webcam, but why take chances? I printed a paper DYMO label reading " CAMERA COVERED" and placed it over my camera's lens. If I ever want to use the webcam, it's easy enough to peel off the label.

An easy way to disable a laptop's built-in microphone is to insert a plug into the microphone (or mic/headphone) jack. Just cut off the plug from a broken set of earbuds or some other "bad" device, and stick it into the jack -- it's enough to disable the built-in mic.

- Collapse -
I Think That is The Whole Point
Sep 4, 2018 3:51PM PDT

In case of microphone and camera (there used to be physical hacks of keyboards as well but those required physical presence -- someone connecting something to your computer -- usually business-related), it is very simple to foil any issue and to be able to continue using these devices, but some people are just more than lazy since a problem is so rare. But, when an issue happens, it is so devastating that one would wish they took simple actions like putting a piece of tape or paper temporarily over a hole. My credit card was hacked and I had to prove to the company that it wasn't done on my computer and the mess took several months to straighten out.

- Collapse -
Exactly!
Sep 5, 2018 5:03PM PDT

It isn't that it is likely that anyone will spy on you, it is the fact that it can be devastating if they do. It only takes once to make you paranoid for life. If you can do things that are so simple to prevent it, then you really have no excuse for allowing it to happen. Other methods exist that are not so easy to deal with, it is true, but this one only takes a few minutes and a bit of awareness. All of the "reasons" for not covering the camera and muffling the microphone when you are not using them are not reasons. They are excuses. If you don't want to, then don't do it, but don't say you have a reason for it. It is not paranoia when it is known and proven that things things have happened in the past, they are happening now, and they can happen again.

- Collapse -
Should I be blocking my laptop's camera?
Sep 11, 2018 8:52AM PDT

I always blocked my camera as a matter of course (I've known for years about hackers being able to watch you, if they decide that you are a good target), but the clincher came when somebody asked James Comey, when he was still head of the FBI, some things he would recommend? He said to block your camera and get a VPN. If the head of the FBI says that, it's good enough for me. I always used a free VPN, but I got a paid one and continued keeping my camera covered.

- Collapse -
Interesting Opinion
Sep 11, 2018 12:42PM PDT

I think this whole thread has been interesting to hear all of the opinions. Ultimately, it comes down to just that, an opinion. I'm hoping this is my last post. I find it interesting James Comey would be an authority, when he and his experts didn't have the ability to hack into an iPhone. They even asked Apple to help them, but were refused. In the end, opinions are what they are, and we all have them.
(Dave Stone)