For me it’s the paranoia surrounding webcams. People outright refuse to own one and I understand, until they go on and on about how they’re being spied. Here’s the secret - unplug the damn thing when you think you won’t use it or haven’t used it in a while.

They, whoever it is, can’t really spy on you on something that’s already off and unplugged!

  • BenLeMan@lemmy.world
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    22 days ago

    Sorry if I was wrong about the prevalence of such protections. My perception may be biased because the notebooks used by our company are all equipped with a switch or shutter of some sort. (HP brand, IIRC) Regarding your second point, however: surely a shutter physically obscuring the camera lens is just as effective as disconnecting the camera when it comes to protecting the user’s privacy?

    • Snapz@lemmy.world
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      21 days ago

      Yes, common that folks in more privileged positions can have these skewed views on products, like, “Uber is a pretty good service and a good value…” but you only pay on your corporate expense account… When normal people need a ride now, it’s $80 for a 14 minute ride that used to cost 25-30 bucks. Someone’s we can just live fully different realities from most people.

      You often forget to close camera shutters (they are often tone on tone and designed to be more invisible, or they can fall open/off. The microphones are also often located near/in camera modules, so a slide shutter can give a false sense of security, but you can still be heard even if not seen sometimes. I do hope it gets to a point where HW disconnect is the norm