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The FBI Director Puts Tape Over His Webcam (npr.org)
Martin Kaste, reporting for NPR: FBI Director James Comey gave a speech this week about encryption and privacy, repeating his argument that "absolute privacy" hampers law enforcement. But it was an offhand remark during the Q&A session at Kenyon College that caught the attention of privacy activists. Kaste points to a tweet by The Kenyon Collegian, "Comey admits he puts a piece of tape over the webcam lens on his laptop." The thought of the FBI chief taping over his webcam is an arresting one for many. His comment Wednesday was in response to a question about growing public awareness of the ways technology can spy on people, and he acknowledged sharing in the surveillance anxiety. "I saw something in the news, so I copied it. I put a piece of tape -- I have obviously a laptop, personal laptop -- I put a piece of tape over the camera. Because I saw somebody smarter than I am had a piece of tape over their camera." Not everyone is a fan. Security and privacy activist Christopher Soghoian said, "FBI Director Comey has created a "warrant-proof webcam" that will thwart lawful surveillance should he ever be investigated. Shame on him."
The only people who would object to such surveillance are those who have something to hide.
Personally, I believe manufacturers should add a mechanical switch that disables camera and microphone that cannot be overridden via software.
That is some high-quality satire right there. Too bad it will be lost on pretty much everyone outside our community. It is rare to see something so concise and on-point - thanks for including that quote!
Seriously, are there really people who don't put tape on their web cams?
I vividly remember that one of Snowden's documents said that CIA had been dealing with webcam OEMs for years and CIA basically made them implement a special feature in their drivers which allowed them to spy on the user without turning on the camera LED.
Which means you cannot trust your camera LED anymore. Which means you should cover it at all times unless you're OK with someone unknown videotaping you.
Dont really care about watching him.....
Now using the built in microphone to listen? a LOT more information is gained that way... If he was a competent FBI director he would order hardware WITHOUT a webcam or built in microphones and would have a team inspect it first.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
Nah. A pair of wirecutters or a penknife "controls" the microphone in a monitor or laptop just fine. You can add your own switch to the broken conductor, and then you're back to "it's physics." Failing that, stick a pin in the hole and swish it around until it doesn't work any longer.
If you simply kill the built-in mic, when you need one, plug in a USB mic. Painless. Probably a better mic, too.
For a phone you can't really get into, keep it in a nice thick black bag. Or get rid of it entirely. It's always fun to actually, you know, talk to people in person. For those of us who still remember how... :) But again, you can probably kill the mic outright with nothing more than a pin. Then use a bluetooth headset when you want to talk.
This isn't all that hard to solve. Yet.
I've fallen off your lawn, and I can't get up.
"It was terribly dangerous to let your thoughts wander when you were in any public place or within range of a telescreen. The smallest thing could give you away. A nervous tic, an unconscious look of anxiety, a habit of muttering to yourself – anything that carried with it the suggestion of abnormality"
- George Orwell, 1984
Sounds like Orwell's "facecrime" is dangerously close to becoming a real thing.
Comey admits he puts a piece of tape over the webcam lens on his laptop.
And I just thought his webcam was broken. Silly me.
most computers with a built-in mic use software control to select between audio input sources, based on detecting the presence of that plug in the mic jack. And as with the cameras, that has the possibility of a software override. I have NO problem recording from my built-in mic while i have a mic plugged into my comuter - I just go into sound prefs and switch mics, because the software defaults to external when present.
And that green light that shows your webcam is on, that may also be under software control. Some manufacturers run that light off the power that runs the CCD etc in the camera when it's in use, and others turn it on (or OFF) in software, so it's not necessarily an accurate indication of camera activity.
I work for the Department of Redundancy Department.
The only people who would object to such surveillance are those who have something to hide.
If one were to look closely enough at anyone, one can find something they are doing that is illegal. On average, everyone commits three felonies a day. I guarantee you that if I looked into your life, I'd find something to put you in jail for.
And with out wars on drugs, terrorism, child pornography, and the Patriot Act, we have turned into a police state. And with political parties having the elite choose who we get to vote for, I for one do not think we live in a free country any longer.
We have given our freedoms away for security and there's no turning back.
How does black tape stop a microphone from working?
You put it on your lips.