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Revisiting webcam covers

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Re: Revisiting webcam covers

#51

Post by NoImmatureAdHom »

jptech wrote: post #38
nixpulvis wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why can't you make a hardware switch for the microphone too? Both the PinePhone and Librem 5 have this. I would like to see more and more of these physical kill switches, hopefully kind of like the silent switches on my iPhone, but maybe with little sliding locks to keep them in position.

There used to be a hardware switch for WiFi on laptops not long ago. But being "always connected" took precedence over privacy. Same can be said with microphone and voice assistants.

Purism's Librem laptops have hardware kill switches for the radios (wifi, bluetooth), and the camera / mic https://puri.sm/products/librem-14/

Re: Revisiting webcam covers

#52

Post by NoImmatureAdHom »

saint_angels wrote: post #7

as the author mentioned, probably the bigger nuisance is not hackers getting access to your camera, but legit apps using it when you expect the least

IMHO apps that use your camera when you least expect it aren't legit. Don't allow big tech to kill you death-by-a-thousand-cuts style. If you don't control your hardware and your firmware, the machine isn't yours and the sensors should be on physical kill switches. You can install these (e.g., kill switch for mic, cover for camera) or you can buy machines with these (e.g. from Purism https://puri.sm/products/librem-14/ )

Re: Revisiting webcam covers

#53

Post by saint_angels »

gumby wrote: post #44
Nitrolo wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What apps or programs do you use to make your phone work as a webcam? I've tried that last year but none of the solutions in the play store seemed to work for me.

I use camo which works really well but I am mac/ios so don’t know if they support other platforms.

camo works great on windows/Mac but it requires an iOS device

Re: Revisiting webcam covers

#54

Post by shapefrog »

zitterbewegung wrote: post #34

Note for people who want to put a third party slidable webcam covers: make sure that the tolerances of your Laptop or other device will allow you to put the webcam cover without damaging your screen or other components. Instead as directed above use a Post it note. Another strategy would be to compartmentalize your activities using separate computers but this is a much higher cost (get a separate laptop for home use)…

Never ever ever ever should you do anything home related on work hardware. Likewise never do anything work related on personal hardware. It isnt 'higher cost' to have a personal computer, it is the cost you would have if you didnt have a job.

I have seen what IT do when they 'replace the sim card on your phone' it involes looking through all your pictures and reading all your messages.

As for companies that say they are not providing hardware and you have to use your personal hardware / phone / whatever for your job. Fuck them.

Re: Revisiting webcam covers

#55

Post by schwartzworld »

NoImmatureAdHom wrote: post #49
schwartzworld wrote: post #17

Added benefit of webcam covers: if your office has mandatory cameras on, you can always turn on the video feed with the camera covered and just pretend you don't know why it isn't working.

This is a dystopian future I hadn't imagined, but in retrospect it seems like something you should've bet on. Is this really a thing, "mandatory cameras on"?

Some workplaces, some bosses.

Re: Revisiting webcam covers

#56

Post by throwaway81523 »

My laptop camera is permanently covered with black electrical tape, but if it was uncovered there would really not be much to see except my bleary eyeballs and my pandemic-necessitated mad-scientist-looking self-inflicted haircut.

I worry much more about the microphone, not just in my laptop, but in my phone, and in who knows what other devices that have the insidious things hidden away. I wish there was a way to block microphones with tape to kill any audio pickup when not wanted. It's harder to manage than cameras, making camera covers something like privacy theater if the microphones are going to be left unblocked.

Yeah I know about the Pinephone with its microphone kill switch, but that switch is apparently quite a pain to operate. If I get a Pinephone I'm likely to leave the mic permanently shut off, and simply use an external or bluetooth mic if I want to make a voice call.

Re: Revisiting webcam covers

#57

Post by pineapple128 »

remram wrote: post #45
kevincox wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For browser-based conferencing you can simply require them to ask for camera access every time. But that won't help you for tools with their own apps. One of the many reasons I try to avoid running the apps of "random" companies.

Revoking permission in my browser's control after each use might be an option. I wonder if I could make a script to change the browser settings (or an extension?)

This is automatic in Firefox. When giving e.g. microphone permission, you can leave the 'Remember this desxision' option unchecked. This will make the permission 'Allowed temporarily' and will be reset when you close the tab or window.

As far as I can test, Chrome does not have this option.

Re: Revisiting webcam covers

#58

Post by Mordisquitos »

MrStonedOne wrote: post #29
Mordisquitos wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Does the slider also physically disconnect the microphone, or alternatively is there a separate switch for it? I find this popular trend of webcam sliders for purported security reasons is mere security theatre as long as microphones cannot be physically disconnected.

somebody didn't read the article

What makes you think I did not read the article? At no point does the article make any mention of microphones, let alone of recent ThinkPads.
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