How do you make absolutely sure your webcam can’t be hacked and your privacy violated? With this simple accessory!
Apple does everything they can to make sure your built-in FaceTime camera can’t be turned on without you noticing it. The light indicating it’s in use, for example, is buried deep in the hardware and incredibly hard to mess with — especially on the new MacBook Pro with secure element. But what if a bug is found or what if you use an external, non-Apple webcam? Better safe than sorry is a cliche for a reason. And, when it comes to webcams, there’s only one way to be absolutely safe!
Block like Zuck
Look at Mark Zuckerberg’s laptop, the one at the left side of the photo. Notice his webcam is covered? Obviously Zuck is a high-value target. You don’t have to be CEO of Facebook to take precautions, though. Anyone can block a webcame just as well.
Smooz Webcam Cover 3-Pack
You could take the Mark Zuckerberg approach and just use a piece of tape or a post-it note to cover your webcam. It won’t cost you anything but it could leave residue and it doesn’t look very elegant.
You could also try Smooz Webcam Covers. These thin little metal cover stick right over your webcam and allow you to slide a shutter back and forth to expose the webcam or cover it up.
The Smooz Webcam Cover is minimalist in design and will cover almost any onboard webcam on most laptops and PCs, without covering any other sensors your computer may have located in the area.
Plus, for just about $10 you’ll get three webcam covers, meaning you could install them on your Mac, your MacBook, and heck even your iPhone or iPad if you felt it was necessary.
What about external webcams?
If you use an external Webcam, you can find covers for those plenty of models out there. Alternatively. If you don’t mind a little extra hassle, you could always unplug your webcam when it’s not in use.
Do you use a webcam cover?
Are you worried about webcam intruders? Let us know if you cover your webcams by leaving a comment down below.