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The founder and chief executive officer of the world’s biggest social network is seemingly highly aware of being spied on.
Billionaire Mark Zuckerberg celebrated Instagram passing the 500 million user mark this week in a Facebook post.
But a closer look at the photo in the post reveals how he has put tape over his laptop’s webcam and microphone.
The photo has sparked speculation around Zuckerberg’s reasons for doing this, with many suggesting that his motivation could centre on a fear of being spied on by hackers.
Hackers are known for using trojan viruses embedded in the likes of email attachments to spy on unsuspecting users.
“Webcams may let you stay in touch with friends and family, but they also pose risks of people hacking into them and spying on you,” said a recent blog post by antivirus firm Norton.
“A recent Pennsylvania lawsuit accused a school district of using webcams on school-issued laptops to spy on students and their families. And in China, a sophisticated network of hackers known as GhostNet has cracked 1,295 webcams in 103 countries,” said the company.
Do you tape up your webcam? Tell us your thoughts by clicking here.
Meanwhile, Zuckerberg’s taping up of his webcam comes amid reports that Facebook has spent more than $16m to protect him from “specific threats” from users and other sources.
Zuckerberg has also hired 16 bodyguards to protect him at home, according to reports in the US.
3 things about this photo of Zuck:
— Chris Olson (@topherolson) June 21, 2016
Camera covered with tape
Mic jack covered with tape
Email client is Thunderbird pic.twitter.com/vdQlF7RjQt
