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Vendors must start adding physical on/off switches to devices that can spy on us

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Re: Vendors must start adding physical on/off switches to devices that can spy on us

#71

Post by jetrink »

rudolfwinestock wrote: post #24

Janie Crane: “An off switch?” Metrocop: “She'll get years for that. Off switches are illegal!” —Max Headroom, season 1, episode 6, “The Blanks” https://www.maxheadroom.com/index.php?title=Episode_ABC.1.6:...

“Winston turned a switch and the voice sank somewhat, though the words were still distinguishable. The instrument (the telescreen, it was called) could be dimmed, but there was no way of shutting it off completely. [...] Any sound that Winston made, above the level of a very low whisper, would be picked up by it.” - George Orwell, 1984

Re: Vendors must start adding physical on/off switches to devices that can spy on us

#72

Post by anbop »

kerng wrote: post #69

It's interesting that no laptop vendor seems to have made a physical webcam cover included by default- to me that seems like a no brainer that most customers would benefit from. Edit: Thanks for all your comments. It seems that there a few vendors that do offer webcan covers by default now. Definitely will have to check those out.

I have seen several laptops with physical slide covers. Didn’t note the brand.

Re: Vendors must start adding physical on/off switches to devices that can spy on us

#73

Post by helgie »

kerng wrote: post #69

It's interesting that no laptop vendor seems to have made a physical webcam cover included by default- to me that seems like a no brainer that most customers would benefit from. Edit: Thanks for all your comments. It seems that there a few vendors that do offer webcan covers by default now. Definitely will have to check those out.

Some thinkpads have them.

Re: Vendors must start adding physical on/off switches to devices that can spy on us

#74

Post by svrtknst »

kerng wrote: post #69

It's interesting that no laptop vendor seems to have made a physical webcam cover included by default- to me that seems like a no brainer that most customers would benefit from. Edit: Thanks for all your comments. It seems that there a few vendors that do offer webcan covers by default now. Definitely will have to check those out.

I saw a laptop recently (within the year, I think) that had the camera situated under one of the buttons IIRC, so that it was naturally covered when not in use

Re: Vendors must start adding physical on/off switches to devices that can spy on us

#76

Post by cmrx64 »

btashton wrote: post #47
walterbell wrote: post #17

Thanks to Purism laptops and phone for taking the lead on kill switches for sensors, https://puri.sm/learn/hardware-kill-switches/

Why do I trust my WiFi cards disable pin, but not the "soft button" on my laptop that triggers it via the OS? I get that there is more software when it goes through the OS, but I trust that a whole lot more than the firmware on the WiFi card. This is from the same group that tries to explain how they don't use proprietary firmware blogs by using the Redpine chips just because the blog is already flashed on it rather…

At least in the case of Purism’s Librem 5 (unreleased), it’s not a disable pin, it’s removing power entirely from the wifi peripheral. Which is a step up for sure.

Re: Vendors must start adding physical on/off switches to devices that can spy on us

#77

Post by justinclift »

dymk wrote: post #49
pixl97 wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The purpose of a knife is to cut. You simply trust the wielder of it, perhaps more than you should.

But as the owner of the Echo, which only transmits after the wake word, you are the one that wields that knife.

> which only transmits after the wake word

In theory. Plenty of reported instances of audio being recorded in situations where the wake word wasn't used, was misheard, etc. So the wake word concept doesn't seem reliable. :(

Re: Vendors must start adding physical on/off switches to devices that can spy on us

#78

Post by basetop »

kerng wrote: post #69

It's interesting that no laptop vendor seems to have made a physical webcam cover included by default- to me that seems like a no brainer that most customers would benefit from. Edit: Thanks for all your comments. It seems that there a few vendors that do offer webcan covers by default now. Definitely will have to check those out.

I put electric or duct tape the laptop webcams and have done so ever since my first laptop with a webcam. Only way to be sure you aren't being recorded other than opening up the laptop and physically removing the webcam.

Re: Vendors must start adding physical on/off switches to devices that can spy on us

#79

Post by HNKingpin »

svrtknst wrote: post #75

While physical switches would be nice, and I generally am a fan of them, IMO they still require trust in the manufacturer. If I don't trust their software switches, why would I trust their hardware switches?

You should be able to see the effects, no? At least in cameras (the light won't be flashing).

Re: Vendors must start adding physical on/off switches to devices that can spy on us

#80

Post by justinjlynn »

rudolfwinestock wrote: post #24

Janie Crane: “An off switch?” Metrocop: “She'll get years for that. Off switches are illegal!” —Max Headroom, season 1, episode 6, “The Blanks” https://www.maxheadroom.com/index.php?title=Episode_ABC.1.6:...

Max Headroom was an extremely subversive program and I continue to be amazed it was actually greenlit, produced and broadcast on mainstream television - in the United States for primetime broadcast, even!
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