Edit to add: Here's what may happen if the indicator is software controlled: "iSeeYou: Disabling the MacBook Webcam Indicator LED" https://jscholarship.library.jhu.edu/bitstream/handle/1774.2...
http://static1.squarespace.com/static/50271a61c4aab6c54f9af5...
I thought that was beautiful UI, since you knew that the lens was being blocked; you didn't have to trust that the software/firmware was doing the right thing.
If you're paranoid, it could be transparent for IR or something though.
So even on a ThinkPad, these physical switches are fake, i.e., they are just software settings checked by the OS, and not a hardware override.
It would be quite a claim and people really do love to put apple products to the test. see: bendgate.
The "article" does not really add anything for the HN audience. So to save you a click, here is the image: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ClfR1BDUsAEMBm2.jpg:orig
This logic really annoys me. The implication is that it's not so bad that the govt. can violate privacy since most people have nothing to hide.
It's like saying censorship is not so bad since most people have nothing to say.
So if you don't want people to know you put a tape over your webcam, maybe you shouldn't do it. ;-)
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/feb/19/schools-spied-...
Yeah sorry Eric is wrong on this one.
Eric Schmidt is wrong.
Most commonly attributed to Joseph Goebbels in 1933.
Simple solution: I now put the phone in my picket upside down.
This shouldn't justify the practice for average Internet users like you and me, though there's no harm in doing it if it makes you feel safe.
While it's true that most of us aren't at risk of a targeted attack from an unknown party as Zuckerberg is, we're all still under threat from huge sweeping scans of entire IP ranges, and some people are very much under threat of an attack from someone they're likely to know (eg a stalker). I don't think we should downplay the possibility of someone attacking your computer on the basis of not being a billionaire company founder; there are plenty of other reasons why people's computers are attacked.
though there's no harm in doing it if it makes you feel safe.
Putting tape over a webcam makes you safe from people snooping on your webcam. It's not theatre, it's not perception; it's actual, real safety. This is a rare example of a simple security measure that doesn't rely on how the user feels.
Why not? The cost is basically zero and the savings might be substantial. I do that on my laptops as well and advice those around me to do the same. If that looks paranoid or stupid for somebody, quick googling for hacked webcams will provide plenty of examples that the threat is real, even for an average user.
https://obdev.at/products/microsnitch/index.html
"This ultra-light menu bar application operates inconspicuously in the background. It monitors and reports any microphone and camera activity to help you figure out if someone’s spying on you."
But why the audio jack. I don't own a Mac. Do I understand correctly that he taped over a 3.5mm analog audio jack?
Blocking recording helps block leaks.
Any recommendations of a nice, soft-touch (perhaps silicone?) cover that can be left on while the machine is closed and won't damage the webcam lens or display surface?
Or this https://ilovegreengrass.wordpress.com/2014/02/12/cover-the-c...
I used to tape it, but stopped out of fear of looking stupid.
[1] https://jscholarship.library.jhu.edu/bitstream/handle/1774.2...
OK, how would that disable the microphone? Or is he just using a dummy plug?
