The Real Reason You Should Be Covering Your Webcam

A privacy expert explains how everyday devices can become tools of surveillance—and what you can do to protect yourself.

You probably don’t think twice about the little black dot at the top of your computer screen. But here’s the truth: your webcam can be turned on without your knowledge. Hackers know it. Tech insiders know it. Even Mark Zuckerberg tapes over his.

In On Privacy: Twenty Lessons to Live By, legal historian and privacy expert Lawrence Cappello lays out the unsettling reality of life in the surveillance age—and what you can do about it. From hijacked webcams to apps quietly listening in the background, Cappello shows how modern life leaves us constantly exposed, and why reclaiming your privacy isn’t paranoid—it’s essential.

Below, he shares five eye-opening lessons that reveal how easily your data—and your dignity—can be compromised, and what you can do to stay one step ahead.