In 2016, a photo of Mark Zuckerberg at his desk went viral. Not because of what he said, but because of what people saw.
There, in the corner of his MacBook, was a tiny piece of opaque tape covering the webcam. For someone who runs one of the largest tech empires on Earth, it felt oddly analog — even paranoid.
But it wasn’t paranoia. It was protocol.
Zuckerberg, like most high-ranking figures in tech, understands something most people don’t think twice about: if it’s connected, it’s vulnerable. And few devices offer as direct a line into your private life as the webcam on your laptop or phone. For all our talk about digital privacy, the silent lens embedded above your screen can offer up something far more invasive than metadata — it can show your face, your room, your routines. It can capture moments you don’t even know you’re having.
The Modern Spyglass
Webcam hacking — sometimes called camfecting — is no longer the stuff of conspiracy theory. It’s a known tactic used by everyone from bored teens with scripts to organized ransomware gangs. In early 2025, the Akira ransomware group exploited an unsecured Linux-based webcam to breach a corporate network and deploy malware. The webcam wasn’t just a voyeuristic tool — it was the door into the house.
There’s irony here. The same camera we use for FaceTime, Zoom calls, or quick selfies has quietly become one of the least-considered attack surfaces in consumer tech. And while most people assume the little green light will tip them off if the camera is active, malware doesn’t always follow the rules. Advanced tools can activate cameras without triggering indicator lights, leaving users unaware they’re being watched.
This isn’t just theoretical. Miss Teen USA was targeted by a hacker who accessed her webcam and tried to use captured footage to blackmail her. It’s a pattern echoed across thousands of lesser-known cases.
So, Why Tape?
Zuckerberg’s tape isn’t a statement. It’s a precaution — as simple and physical as locking your front door. Taping a webcam is a crude but effective layer of protection, especially when paired with secure software. In cybersecurity, the goal isn’t just to stop attacks; it’s to make yourself a harder target than the next person.
And in this context, digital protection isn’t about being invisible — it’s about being inconvenient.
The Digital Duct Tape
Of course, taping your webcam is just one line of defense. A more comprehensive approach looks like using tools built specifically to counter these threats. I use SurfShark’s Antivirus because doesn’t just block unauthorized camera access, it scans for malware in real-time, issues alerts when your personal info is leaked online, and keeps your browsing activity invisible to trackers. It’s like duct tape, a deadbolt, and a bodyguard, all running quietly in the background.
Zuckerberg’s move is symbolic — a low-tech fix for a high-tech risk. But for most of us, relying on tape alone misses the bigger picture. You can close the lens, but the system remains open.
In an age where everything is online, maybe the smartest step is doing what the people who build the web do: don’t trust it blindly. Lock the digital doors too.
