Everyone should cover their webcams, says FBI director

The FBI director has advised everyone to cover up their computers’ webcams to stop them from being spied on, saying that it is one of the “sensible things” that people can do.

James Comey says that all government offices cover up cameras and that normal citizens should be doing the same. “There’s some sensible things you should be doing, and that’s one of them. You go into any government office and we all have the little camera things that sit on top of the screen. They all have a little lid that closes down on them. You do that so that people who don’t have authority don’t look at you. I think that’s a good thing.”



Hackers can get access to webcams and can easily record information which can then be used for blackmail or breaking into other security systems. Governments, including the US, have also been known to tap into webcams to gather information about citizens.

Pictures taken last year show that even Mark Zuckerberg covers the webcam on his MacBook Pro, highlighting the importance of taping up cameras to protect your system and your information from hackers.



Web security company Hide My Ass! recently announced that it had started making special gadgets to sit over the top of people’s webcams, in case hackers broke in. Those little bits of plastic also feature a lens that means people can slot in an image and have it shown to anyone who broke in.

This article originally appeared on Independent.