Above in the thread it has been noted that camera covers are not only about security. But also about preventing accidental exposure, e.g. when you accidentally click the wrong button in a meeting app, or if your app is misconfigured to start with the camera on, forget to close an app, etc. Camera covers helps prevent you from these potential embarrassments.

I’d be more embarrassed being seen wearing a camera cover

Are you similarly embarrassed when you close your blinds at night?

I use curtains, but only to isolate the light in the morning.

This is a tech forum. I'm much more embarrassed not being able to use Zoom for the first time, rather than a distributed team see me laying on a couch for a brief moment.

Sound very insecure.

Yes I'm more insecure about my qualifications than my appearance.

You people sound insecure about your appearance.

What? Why are you saying this? What does this have to do with anything? Are you just tying to be right or something? Are you trying to win an argument? Like why do you even care about my own sense of embarrassment? Why should I care if you personally don’t feel embarrassed in situations where I might? What are you trying to proof? Who are you trying to be?

A simple built-in camera cover is not a cosmetic doodad. And physical covers cannot be remotely hacked, unlike the active camera light which has been overridden multiple times.

If we're talking about focusing on security, then the choice should be clear.

Mac camera lights can’t be hacked. And tell you exactly when it’s in use.

Can you back this claim with references?

The other comment says there are dozens in this thread...I haven't seen anything specific mentioned. But, I remember reading something a year or two ago[1] that's not solidly sourced (it'd be great if Apple posted something on their website like they did about microphones [2])

> All cameras after that one were different: The hardware team tied the LED to a hardware signal from the sensor: If the (I believe) vertical sync was active, the LED would light up. There is NO firmware control to disable/enable the LED. The actual firmware is indeed flashable, but the part is not a generic part and there are mechanisms in place to verify the image being flashed. […]

[1] https://daringfireball.net/2019/02/on_covering_webcams

[2] https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/security/secbbd20b00b/...

"You know the camera was on" is not the same as "the camera can't see anything because the cover was on", the same way as notifying the user of a security failure is not the same as preventing it in the first place.

And an Apple engineer also confirmed that Macs made in the last five years will ensure the LED flashes for at least 3 seconds, even for still photos.

Dozens on this thread alone.

This is like focusing on the brakes and forgetting to install an airbag.

That cosmetic doodad is unhackable, though, as opposed to software.

Apple hardware is "a mostly cosmetic doodad".