Apple Warns Against Closing MacBooks With a Cover Over the Camera

AmazinApple said:
As they said in the article the camera cannot be activated without the green indicator light being turned on and macOS gives you complete control over when and where your camera and microphones are used. So what's the point in that?
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It's probably about putting more trust into a manual barrier, than into something automated by software.
 
Rich74 said:
Read the bit where I said I’m not doing anything wrong. Who the hell is going to sextort me when I wouldn’t be in a position to have that happen to me in the first place.
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Regardless of how prominent one's position is, their current/future employment is affected by publicly released sextortion content and the partner too. Even if one applies for a job at In-n-Out why would the company risk their PR?
 
I used to think these people were paranoid until I saw back to back photos of inside tech labs for Apple and facebook. All the computers in the background had tape over their cameras. If two of the most well funded and technologically advanced tech offices in the world have that little confidence in their own security measures then I have no beef with anyone that has the same doubts about their own computers. I personally don't feel I present enough of a target to make these precautions necessary, but if I was a woman or used my laptop in view of any sort of sensitive surroundings I'd cover my lens as well.
 
Chazz08 said:
So it was out of warranty, is what you are saying, but you wanted something fixed for free. Got it.
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Actually there’s a service program for this exact issue but it finished at the end of last year. This include MacBooks up to 4 years old of which mine is.
 
mi7chy said:
As reliable as LEDs are they still sometimes so bad. Unless there's a LED failure sensor and notification process which I doubt exist you're relying on blind trust. Simple built-in physical shutter in comparison is fool proof and cheaper.
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And as MacRumors later indicated, malware may only capture a single frame, which may go unnoticed.

What would be better is for Apple to lockdown access to camera and microphone entirely, just as iOS and iPadOS do. Perhaps ARM-based Macs will be able to do that.

As for the cover and tape, as much as it is a simple and effective solution (minus the microphone), I don't like the aesthetics.
 
mnsportsgeek said:
If it happens again to T2 Macs, your website will post about it and the concern will be justified. Then we’ll all cover our cameras and not be crazy to do so.

I don’t think I’ll be the first person to have their T2 Mac hacked, so I’m not worried.
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🤷🏻‍♂️ Taking stills is still a thing. Lights don’t stay on.
 
Apple should seriously consider adding a privacy cover to the webcam, just as Lenovo (for example) has done. Although users generally can avoid unwanted recording, it is possible to initiate a video call by mistake, the possibility of hacking (including a hack that would disable the green light) can never be ruled out, and there is a peace-of-mind element even apart from the technical considerations.
 
Why doesn't Apple make physical shutter into their devices. A tiny switch on top of the display should do the trick.
 
mnsportsgeek said:
Again. When it happens on a T2 Mac, it will be worthy of my attention. I will wait for macrumors to have the scoop.
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I don’t think you are following. This is possible right now on a T2 Mac with everything working properly and no hacks.

App takes still photo. Light does turn on but not for very long. How long does light stay on to take a still photo? Would you notice it?

arn
 
aforty said:
Maybe just use tape instead?
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The problem with tape is if you do need the camera (much more common now in Covid times) the tape leaves a bad residue over the camera and it's not usable unless you get some goo-gone or something.

I had this happen to me on a call, the video looked like your typical Bigfoot shot where you can't tell if there is a human there or just a beige blob.
 
Your webcam can be hacked and activated without the little green light coming on, thus the desire for some kind of coverage.
 
Zakzilla said:
Maybe Apple should include a privacy cover then? They claim to be privacy focused but ironically leave their cameras completely exposed.
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For real dude? It's called closing your MacBook lid. For the rest of the time, there is a very obvious green light that is hardwired into the power for the camera itself. Any time the camera is powered, the light is powered via the same power pathway. On top of all of this, it's a freaking Mac. Stop worrying, lol.
 
munpip214 said:
Maybe if they would update the camera to something better than 720p we might want to use it…
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A viable solution is using a USB webcam with higher quality then unplug for peace of mind and permanently cover the built-in cam. Less hassle and less messy than taping/untaping.
 
Zakzilla said:
Maybe Apple should include a privacy cover then? They claim to be privacy focused but ironically leave their cameras completely exposed.
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Hahaha. They do, it’s in privacy -controls what apps can access and has a hardwired light. This ain’t windows !
 
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