Yes, you read correctly, to Apple does not like to see that you cover the camera of your Macbook with those protectors that serve to blind the camera, and that as a general rule have a cover that allows you to unlock it when you want to use it. And she doesn’t like it to the point of having. published a text on the support website, in which they ask users concerned about their privacy not to do so, but they do explain the reasons for this, and at first glance they seem quite reasonable.
The reason that Apple does not recommend the use of these covers on Macbooks is that, they claim, closing the laptop may cause damage to the screen. According to those of Cupertino, the design of their computers is measured to the millimeter, and the pressure that a cover can exert on the upper part of the screen, can be harmful to it. In addition, depending on its size and placement, it can also interfere with the ambient light sensor, preventing the correct operation of some system functions.
Instead, and to ensure your privacy, Apple re-recommend Macbook users to trust the led next to the camera, and it turns on automatically whenever it is activated. Furthermore, it has always been indicated that it is not a software-controlled light, but that it receives power from the same circuit as the camera itself. That is, if the camera receives enough power to activate, the light will automatically turn on. Sounds good, right?
The problem is that it is not always a reliable indicator. Johns Hopkins University researchers they showed in the past than it is possible to disable the green led of the camera of the Macbook and that, despite this, it remains active and operational. And, on the other hand, a permanently lit LED can alert us to the improper use of our camera, but what happens if it only activates a fraction of a second? And if it does, say, every 10 0 15 minutes? It is quite likely that we do not realize it, but that someone is “photographing” us every few minutes.
I understand, of course, the concern about the harmful effect that camera covers can have on Macbook hardware, but something that I can’t stop thinking about, considering that these types of accessories are already quite old, is that Apple It has not followed the path that other manufacturers are gradually adopting: that the computer itself incorporates some system to blind the camera whenever the user does not want to use it. We are not living good times to ask for faith and trust from users, now it is the technology companies that have to work to get users to trust them again.
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