It was optional, you could keep your camera off or not join ever if you wanted. When I was remote, I usually didn't join and just kept in touch on Chime text rooms unless my tasks that day needed a higher level of coordination.

I've seen this work very well in one company and fail several times in another. For many people, being reachable and interruptible constantly is the worst part of office work. So they don't want to replicate it digitally. Others appreciate the constant communication.