Covering your camera and disabling microphone

Nathan said:
I do the same with my laptop, it has a built in blinder that slides over and blocks the camera. I disable audio at the hardware level.
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I have a slide blinder on, too... but seriously until recently (okay, okay, just now! :cautious:) I never even thought of disabling the mic.... how would I do that, @Nathan ? To answer your question, Rose, I'd go with "wise." No reason not to do those things if you're able.
 
I wonder if asking questions to CoPilot with the mic is a no, no? Microsoft should be able to protect your conversations, but I am not so confident that there are some smart hackers that could steal your voice from that. That would be a disaster for the AI industry!
 
Oh well, now that you all have different opinions
about this subject, I switched off my microphone
for the first time since I got it, 20 or so years ago,
I don't use a camera.

Quite often after speaking about something that
I would like to buy, normally when speaking with
a friend in a café and my phone on the table, when
I get home, I get ads about what I had been talking
about earlier, so all microphones listen and report
back to Google.

Mike.
 
I used to cover the camera and silence the mic, but since retirement, I’m really not all that concerned. If somebody in China, Russia or the IRS gets a few jolly’s from watching me in my skivvies or listening to my rants at the news, then “Merry Christmas” to ‘em.
 
Rose65 said:
I've done these things now. Just sticky labels on the camera, turned off the microphone and Google assistant in settings.
In this age of hackers I think it's prudent. Am I being paranoid or wise?
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I put a piece of electrical tape over the camera on my older laptop, don't remember about the microphone. Haven't done anything on the new laptop yet. Nothing wrong with taking the precautions that you think might be needed.
 
We may think we are too boring to be recorded but there is scope for blackmail. None of us wants to be seen undressed or saying indiscreet things. An unscrupulous hacker could watch us for a long time and make videos. I would be devastated.

Just like perhaps we think our home not worth burgling, but it is bound to be hugely a violation if we were. The emotional impact alone.

We live in an age of unprecedented surveillance. I think we should look seriously at where we are vulnerable. Just take good steps to be private and safe.
 
No concern here. Considering there are 8 billion people in the world, the odds are fairly low that I am on anyone's radar, and if I am, I am not laundering money or doing drug deals, so I imagine my lifestyle wouldn't be of much use to anyone. If they want to see what I look like, there is a picture of me right on this page and hundreds of others. Go for it.
 
bobcat said:
No concern here. Considering there are 8 billion people in the world, the odds are fairly low that I am on anyone's radar, and if I am, I am not laundering money or doing drug deals, so I imagine my lifestyle wouldn't be of much use to anyone. If they want to see what I look like, there is a picture of me right on this page and hundreds of others. Go for it.
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fhgfj.jpg Now what are you gonna do? :)
 
Paco Dennis said:
View attachment 336635 Now what are you gonna do? :)
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OMG, with all due sarcasm, I think I'll slit my throat and jump off a bridge.

Seriously, if I were the more concerned sort, I would be worried about how Google has collected everything I have searched for in the past 30 years, not to mention everything I have bought from Amazon, and a hundred other vendors. They probably know more about me than my own family.

For a couple bucks, anyone who has the desire could find out so much about any of us, it would make your jaw drop. The dark web is an underground brimming with resources. They just choose targets that are worth their trouble. I highly doubt I am one of them.
 
Before I retired I would cover my camera with a piece of post-it, but I did that because I didn't want to accidentally join a work zoom meeting with it on.

I haven't covered the camera of my Chromebook, presumably the light would turn on if someone hacked into it. The microphone I use every day for DuoLingo language lessons so I want it on.

I'm a little paranoid I guess because if I am typing in anything like a password I don't spell it out loud.

For my phone I leave things on because I am always asking Google stuff, and sometimes having video type calls with my daughter.
 

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