I believe the simplest solution on Apple's side is to add a physical indicator of when the camera is on or off. It must not be software controlled, not even on system/FPGA level. Best if attached on power on/off. With a hysteresis so that even quick on/off will be noticed.<p>Edit to add: Here's what may happen if the indicator is software controlled: "iSeeYou: Disabling the MacBook
Webcam Indicator LED" <a href="https://jscholarship.library.jhu.edu/bitstream/handle/1774.2/36569/camera.pdf" rel="nofollow">https://jscholarship.library.jhu.edu/bitstream/handle/1774.2...</a>
The main problem I see with this is that Mr. "The age of privacy is over" doesn't eat his own dogfood. But that's probably because his users are "Dumb fucks" (to quote him again).
Who says that it is his laptop?<p>The "article" does not really add anything for the HN audience. So to save you a click, here is the image: <a href="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ClfR1BDUsAEMBm2.jpg:orig" rel="nofollow">https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ClfR1BDUsAEMBm2.jpg:orig</a>
<i>"No, government spies probably don't care what you're saying or doing in front of your computer."</i><p>This logic really annoys me. The implication is that it's not so bad that the govt. can violate privacy since most people have nothing to hide.<p>It's like saying censorship is not so bad since most people have nothing to say.
I'm guessing Zuckerberg can afford to spring for something more elegant: <a href="http://eyebloc.com/" rel="nofollow">http://eyebloc.com/</a>
As Eric Schmidt has put it: "If you have something that you don't want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn't be doing it in the first place."<p>So if you don't want people to know you put a tape over your webcam, maybe you shouldn't do it. ;-)
I realized that while my iPhone 4s used to fit into my shirt pocket (which was one of Steve Jobs' original design specifications), the 5s I now have is so large that the camera peaks out from my pocket. Plus there's a camera on either side, so if somebody did hack into it, they could at least see something other than the inside of my pocket.<p>Simple solution: I now put the phone in my picket upside down.
It's important to point out that Mark Zuckerberg has a much stronger interest in protecting his privacy than the average person. There is a legitimate expectation that an individual, entity or the government would try to hack his webcam or microphone.<p>This shouldn't justify the practice for average Internet users like you and me, though there's no harm in doing it if it makes you feel safe.
I have found Micro Snitch to be very useful:<p><a href="https://obdev.at/products/microsnitch/index.html" rel="nofollow">https://obdev.at/products/microsnitch/index.html</a><p>"This ultra-light menu bar application operates inconspicuously in the background. It monitors and reports any microphone and camera activity to help you figure out if someone’s spying on you."
I did this for a long time but stopped because I thought it looked too tin-foil-hat-like. After seeing Zuck do it, I think I'm going back.<p>But why the audio <i>jack</i>. I don't own a Mac. Do I understand correctly that he taped over a 3.5mm analog audio jack?
This is totally normal and nothing new (like years). Companies of a certain breed who have product meetings for secret products routinely do this to the cameras and mics of the computers and phones of meeting attendees.<p>Blocking recording helps block leaks.
I would feel a lot more comfortable with a cover for the webcam on my 2015 MBP, but the anti-reflective coating on the display is so famously, ludicrously sensitive and prone to delamination that I'm really reluctant to affix anything to the webcam/display. (This is less of a concern if you are Mark Zuckerberg.)<p>Any recommendations of a nice, soft-touch (perhaps silicone?) cover that can be left on while the machine is closed and won't damage the webcam lens or display surface?
My Logitech webcam has a built-in sliding mechanism to cover and uncover the camera lens. I doubt I would ever buy a webcam that does not have this. There should really be a blocking mechanism for laptop cameras as well.
> but there's also tape covering the Apple laptop's dual microphones<p>OK, how would that disable the microphone? Or is he just using a dummy plug?