How paranoid should I be? i have a bandaid over the camera and mic of my lap top. Is this crazy?

[sea2summit]

It’s a little bit crazy. I have been writing code and building computer systems for over 30 years. The only reason to cover the camera is in case YOU accidentally shared your video. Contrary to popular misconception your phone isn’t listening to your conversations. If you get an ad for something you were talking about it’s because you sent or got an email with that subject (Google does scan your email to target ads). Also, if you communicate regularly with someone on social media or you message with them and THEY look up an item or search a term, or buy something on-line then the ad engines are likely to show you an ad for that, because they assume that you will have common interests.

I would believe that if every other app didn't need access to my photos, camera, files, etc to "enable full functionality". Look at google maps, if you're using it as your navigation device in you're phone it will actually send reminders "are you going here again?" style with a photo of the place and other data. It's creepy.

 

[riptides]

LOL
and private industry isn’t in bed with government?
Covid vaccine? Zuckerberg drop boxes? Toll roads?

Please....take the conspiracy/collusion crap elsewhere.

 

[riptides]

Yep I am, but when I turn it off, I'm off the air and don't exist. I disappear.

Except you don't. You may think you do but there is enough bits and bytes to figure out some interesting stuff.

 

[Hay Dude]

Please....take the conspiracy/collusion crap elsewhere.

Theres no “conspiracy” in making my statement.
This has nothing to do with politics.
Are you naive enough to actually believe government and private industry don't collaborate on anything?

W
O
W

 

[riptides]

Theres no “conspiracy” in making my statement.
This has nothing to do with politics.
Are you naive enough to actually believe government and private industry don't collaborate on anything?

W
O
W

I said it was private industry leading the way in technologies.

YOU introduced government.

 

[3 Horse Ranch]

Contrary to popular misconception your phone isn’t listening to your conversations. If you get an ad for something you were talking about it’s because you sent or got an email with that subject

To that I politely say BULL. I didn't do any research on asphalt or paving or blacktop. I simply had a conversation with my brother in the "privacy" of our home. I seldom use Google search because it gave me the creepy feeling I was being followed. I switched to DuckDuckGo and the creepy feeling has diminished significantly.

 

[jyoutz]

You guys ever read or heard of George Orwell's book "1984"

Believe me: neither the federal or state governments in the US are able to have the various agencies cooperate enough to ever pull off successful conspiracies. Every department thinks they are autonomous and doesn’t want to fall in line with another department of government. Our government is designed that way. (32 years federal employee)

 

[3 Horse Ranch]

I said it was private industry leading the way in technologies.

YOU introduced government.

Government and industry are not uncommon bedfellows. Eisenhower said it 60 years ago: "In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex." It would be naïve indeed to think that "influence" hasn't worked it's way into technology and into other branches of the government in the last 60 years. Not only our government but other governments worldwide.

 

[Hay Dude]

Yeah I mean ever heard of lobbyists ?

I think I read somewhere that Bezos has the cloud platform to store all our government data. If that aint both working together, nothing is.

 

[jyoutz]

Government and industry are not uncommon bedfellows. Eisenhower said it 60 years ago: "In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex." It would be naïve indeed to think that "influence" hasn't worked it's way into technology and into other branches of the government in the last 60 years. Not only our government but other governments worldwide.

Yes: related to research and development, and sweet contracts for supplies and services. But anyone on this site who thinks that someone in government has an interest in watching them has an inflated sense of their importance.