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Why does Mark Zuckerberg tape the camera and mic of his MacBook?

Updated Dec 19th, 2018 9:19PM EST
Mark Zuckerberg Tapes MacBook Camera Mic
Image: Mark Zuckerberg

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Does Mark Zuckerberg know something about online spying operations that we don’t? Is he just showing the appropriate amount of paranoia that suits his position? Or is this a new fashion statement? Whatever the case, Zuckerberg appears to wear fancy tape over the camera and microphone of his MacBook Pro, as shown in the image above.

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Zuckerberg posted the picture to celebrate a major milestone for Instagram, hitting 500 million users. But various people quickly observed that the MacBook on his desk has both the camera and the microphone covered with tape.

Sure, it might not be his desk, some will say, but Gizmodo points out that Zuckerberg gave a tour of the exact same desk in a Facebook live video posted some nine months ago.

There are plenty of reasons for the CEO of one of the most important tech companies in the world to resort to such behavior. But, at the same time, this is also a cause of concern. Should we trust Facebook with our data considering that Zuckerberg thinks hackers can covertly access a laptop’s assets to record video and voice without the user knowing? If that’s possible, does Facebook security stand a chance?

Strangely enough, Zuckerberg isn’t the only high-profile leader to show such paranoid behavior when it comes to being hacked – after all, he was hacked recently. On that note, though, maybe Zuckerberg should have used better passwords for some of his online accounts, rather than taping the MacBook.

Recently, FBI Director James Comey said that he also put tape over his laptop’s camera after he saw “somebody smarter” with a similar setup. Should we all do it now?

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.