More importantly, run an operating system you can trust.
this post was submitted on 10 May 2025
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Privacy
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I have Linux Mint installed on my laptop, I just don't trust M$ Windows with their AI crap.
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TL;DR
Yes
Also disable all microphones etc. of course
Fun fact, every speaker is a microphone and vice versa.
While true, an average speaker isn't sensitive enough to get quality or understandable sound out of, and that's assuming software can be rewritten to accept input from them.
This isn't a realistic privacy concern imo, but it is a novel fun fact, and if you have a 3.5mm jack you can play around with it on a PC
Two questions:
- Does my soundcard have an ADC wired (directly) to my speakers?
- If yes: Why?
Usually/some can define their inputs and outputs as needed. My PC has 2 3.5 mm hand at the back and 2 at the front, they can be configured in any way I want essentially.
if they have an amplifier that does not work anymore, does it?
but otherwise that's right, and in laptop speakers this is probably not a barrier
Absolutely, unless you're lucky enough to have a laptop with a Physical killswitch on your Webcam + Mic module, then it's not needed since flipping the Switch physically kills power to the Camera module's USB header.
Framework Laptops have this Feature.
My Asus has one and I didn't know about it and FOR YEARS I thought my webcam was broken- it wasn't even showing up in the device manager. I bought an external webcam, because I figured it was pooched and I had to use a webcam sometimes, but not often enough to care into looking to get it repaired.
This is a story about me being dumb.
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My Thinkpad has a built-in camera cover. I keep it closed unless I'm specifically using it.
Thinkpads are great that way
This is the way...
Zuckerberg has been doing this for over a decade.
https://mashable.com/article/mark-zuckerberg-webcam-cover
The answer is yes, obviously duh, yes.
I have a 15+ year old lamp on my desk which has a bulb that gets quite hot. Didn't realize my laptop was directly under it one day. Melted the laptop lid slightly directly where the camera is located.
Everything else works fine except for the camera. I always disabled it in BIOS but now it's physically disabled. Sometimes the adhd solves problems on it's own.
I learned the other day my laptop doesn’t even have a camera. I’ve never noticed in the six months of owning it.
Excellent.
what kind of laptop is that? I need it
I got it on a deal. I would post the link here but that feels inappropriate. I bought it from B&H and it’s a Lenovo i5. Please note that the five has nothing to do with the Intel processor family but rather that’s just the name of the laptop.
I wanted something that was gaming-capable but also admits to the fact that I’m mostly going to do work on the laptop. The ports are in weird locations, and it’s unnecessarily heavy, but I am pleased with it given the main purpose which was to get an effectively desktop replacement that I don’t expect to haul around that often.
Also, if you do decide that’s a laptop that you want, play close attention to the specifications. They reuse the same laptop name. It’s actually a series of laptops that is updated every year or so and they have different build options.
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Have there ever been cases where this actually happened?
Yes, several schools have been caught activating cameras in the home, and have punished students for activities seen on those illegally enabled cameras
Nothing happened to the schools
Spying trough the webcam?
Hell yeah. There's even sellers on hacker forums that sell access to the computers of hot girls. It's sick but it happens.
Most big time hackers don't do this though. They'll have so many computers under their control they don't waste time on singular targets.
Can you provide any sources?
This was over 10 years ago, but it popped into my head as soon as I saw this thread. Over 1,600 rent-to-own stores were found by the FTC to have spyware installed on laptops that enabled the stores to access the webcams. The spyware also included keyloggers.
I would bet money that this type of shit still happens.
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Cover all cameras on all devices.
Related, when we were shopping for a smart TV last year, it was so difficult to find one without a microphone... I already don't like my phone having a microphone, why would I put it into my bloody TV...
I already don’t like my phone having a microphone
A phone without a microphone. A phone... without a microphone... is not a phone.
Can I ask what you use a phone for?
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Yes. Technically everything is hackable.
Oh yeah. Use electrical tape.
If you're running Linux, does this still apply!?
Yes
Not as much(probably on an order of magnitude less than with windows OSs), but depending on your distro package manager,specfic packages installed and update schedule etc supply chain attacks and other methods of malware injection are still possible,
it doesn't harm to have your camera covered when not in active use(you can use something like bluetack to cover it if you don't have an in-built slide cover) so why not imo
https://www.csoonline.com/article/3560646/malicious-open-source-software-packages-have-exploded-in-2024.html <- this could be of some intetest
you can use something like bluetack to cover it if you don’t have an in-built slide cover
FYI they sell dedicated covers for the Webcam which stick around the camera and can slide to cover it and slide to uncover it. If you don't have a Killswitch on your Camera they're a good thing to have
EFF gives out tiny stickers at conventions for that purpose. I've been staring at an EFF sticker for years.
Yes, yes you should.
Hell, I unplug the damned thing when I'm not using it.
Can you cover the lens with sandpaper and rub it for a few minutes? Permanent problems require permanent solutions
This is the energy I’m looking for. Impractical but powerful.
My framework laptop has a built-in, physical kill switch for both the webcam and mic.
On my desktop pc, I cover the webcam or unplug it entirely until I need it.
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