Webcam with privacy shutter & mute

Another business idea – this time a simple one.

Today the BBC has an article about “webcam hijackers” who blackmail people (mostly young women) with remote access trojans that grab webcam video.

I don’t get it. Why do almost no webcams come with a physical privacy shutter – just a sliding piece of plastic?

The right way to do this is a knob that turns a cam and slides a shutter in front of the lens.

It should have four positions:

  • Off – shutter blocks lens, cam opens a switch that electrically disconnects the microphone
  • Audio only – shutter blocks lens, cam closes mic switch
  • Video only – shutter away from lens, cam opens mic switch
  • On – shutter away from lens, cam closes switch

How hard is that, really?

 

Hey: VCs often say that good ideas are a dime a dozen. Mine go even cheaper than that. If you use this idea to make money, I’d like 0.5%. Of the equity in your company, or the profits. Or something. If that’s too much (or too little), fine – whatever you think is fair. This is a request for a gift, or reward – it is not a legal obligation. You’re free to use this idea and pay me nothing. If you can live with yourself that way.

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