# I think my computer webcam may have been hacked
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-my-computer-webcam-may-have-been-hacked/786075
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [May 7, 2017, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-my-computer-webcam-may-have-been-hacked/786075 "2017-05-07T18:44:08Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2017, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-my-computer-webcam-may-have-been-hacked/786075/1 "2017-05-07T18:44:08Z")
So the last couple of days, my computer behaved weirdly, not going to sleep as it normally does (after a few hours of inaction) and also having that bright blue light on top next to the webcam. And I was completely oblivious as to what that meant until it finally hit me - the blue light means the webcam is on, of course. But I had not been doing anything that would cause the webcam to go on, other than Facebook chats which had been ended (and should have ended the webcam); hadn’t been using the webcam.
So I started to suspect - maybe it’s been hacked? Today, after a restart, the computer seems to be behaving fine, no more webcam shenanigans, but I am still concerned. Don’t want some hacker surreptitiously photographing/videotaping.
Seems like two possible things to me:
1. Somehow the webcam didn’t shut off when it should have (ie., after having ended a Facebook chat with someone - it always shuts off like it should)
2. Hacked;
3. Something else activated it (but I hadn’t done anything that would activate it)
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### Author:  [@Evan\_Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evan_Drake)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2017, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-my-computer-webcam-may-have-been-hacked/786075/2 "2017-05-07T18:53:11Z")
Take the webcam and attach it to a Raspberry Pi; place it angled right, run off a battery, in any cubicle in a public lavatory adjacent to free WiFi; write the webcam off.
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### Author:  [@Esco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esco)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2017, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-my-computer-webcam-may-have-been-hacked/786075/3 "2017-05-07T18:55:40Z")
Just stick a piece of tape over the lens
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### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2017, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-my-computer-webcam-may-have-been-hacked/786075/4 "2017-05-07T18:58:18Z")
You _really_ need to do something about your hair.
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### Author:  [@Esco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esco)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2017, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-my-computer-webcam-may-have-been-hacked/786075/5 "2017-05-07T19:33:11Z")
> [@running\_coach](#):
>
> You _really_ need to do something about your hair
Scalphair or pubic hair??
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### Author:  [@pythonzzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pythonzzz)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2017, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-my-computer-webcam-may-have-been-hacked/786075/6 "2017-05-07T20:55:30Z")
Oooooh… shades of Black Mirror’s “Shut Up and Dance” :eek:
> [@](#):
>
> You really need to do something about your hair.
… must be the eyebrows 😉
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### Author:  [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2017, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-my-computer-webcam-may-have-been-hacked/786075/7 "2017-05-07T21:00:22Z")
Tape over (or a post it) the webcam unless you’re using it. Don’t know if you were hacked or not, but it’s a good low tech fix for the problem.
You should probably run a system scan with the security software of your choice.