Security of webcams

No, not a coincidence NfkDumpling.

Don't forget Bradford Lass that many have photographs of children and grandchildren stored on their computers, and strangers can take those and do what they like with them on porn sites.

Your computer can't hear you. If you've entered a search for a cruise holiday, for example, it's going to use the data in the search to advertise high end holidays to you using pop -up ads. If you search for camping holidays, the sort of ads you're going to get are also hiking, walking and adventure holidays; outdoor wear, bikes, binoculars and travel insurance. If you've searched for camping holidays a day or two after looking at Per Una clothes, you'd get caravan holidays popping up, with walk-in showers, wide-fit shoes, varifocal glasses, and audio books e.g.

It's all about profiling. The same ads that you'd find in a Saga magazine are not going to pop up if a teenager profile has been picked up purely by the searches entered.

Try this: search teenage things on one computer, and then search grandparent things on another.

I hate webcams so never use mine. I've stuck of piece of sticky plaster over it.

Whiterabbit, that is scary. I have sticking plaster over ours. Our separate webcam is still in the loft,we never connected it. Now Ive discovered the built in camera can be turned off I will be doing that. I use Facebook but am very careful what I put on it. I keep it very general, books, music,local news, book groups that kind of thing. I also don't have where I work or any personal stuff. I change the password for it every so often. I mainly text or use WhatsApp. I store photos on an external hardrive. Does anyone here know how secure 'Cloud' is? I am very wary of using that too.

My daughter has popped a sticky star (yes same as you get for the kids in school) over her webcam on her iPad and computer but also over her phone camera that faces her (as you can turn the picture around to take a selfie) so in theory they can also watch what you do or around you if hacked. But isn’t it sad that people do that!
I remember a tv programme a while ago whereby the programme informed this elderly couple that their movements within their home had been watched on a site worldwide via a WiFi home security system, including someone in France watching them for over 8 hours in total! Totally creepy imo yet we’re encouraged to invest in home security and additional services in the home via our WiFi. Really don’t know how to do this safely

Regarding the webcam in my laptop surely when you don't see the light it is not on and when you have turned the laptop off nothing is happening.

I don't see any need to start altering settings or am I naive.

I have security and a fire wall on my laptop doesn't this come into play if anything is not right!!!