Webcam Safety and Prevention for Children

An issue that parents or guardians may not have worried about in the past, is the danger of webcam spying on your children’s electronics. Many people have been skeptical about whether webcam spying is possible and how common it actually is. Now, there is evidence that this is, in fact, happening more often than one might think.

Defining Webcam Spying

Webcam spying is when individual operators or government bureaus utilize computers to spy on victims. It’s often wondered what these agencies could achieve with the information that is collected from spying. The NSA has used this hack to track people and others have hacked into computers to take jeopardizing pictures or videos to be spread into the world involuntarily.  

If you or your child listen to music while getting ready for an outing or view any social media during the time of becoming undressed, the webcam can be turned on without a light showing up, making it nearly impossible to detect if or when you are being recorded. The pictures or videos taken while the victim is changing or doing anything behind closed doors could be posted anywhere without consent, unknowingly.

What Are Some Precautions I Can Take?

There are a few steps that you can take to secure your child’s safety and your own. The first thing that you should do is disable the webcam on all computers in your home. Installing antivirus on computers is another way to be proactive although hackers are able to find ways around those antiviruses.

Some older computers may have external cameras that are able to be attached to the computer. These can easily be unplugged, but now most laptops or computers have built in cameras. This makes it more difficult to know whether you are being recorded or not. For some laptops, you can turn off the BIOS to avoid spying issues.

Another precaution that can be done to prevent spying is covering the camera on computers and laptops. Users can easily remove a cover from their camera if it is needed and put it back on when they are finished. You can buy camera covers for $5-10 or you could make one yourself.

Getting Help

If you need help finding any camera covers or have any questions regarding webcam spying, contact our office. We urge you to take these precautions for the safety of you and your children.