Mark Zuckerberg Puts Tape Over His Webcam

Is the Facebook CEO acting paranoid, or is this a good practice?

ByABC News
June 22, 2016, 9:59 AM

— -- Mark Zuckerberg posted a photo celebrating Instagram's 500 million user milestone, but what's in the background is also getting some attention.

Eagle-eyed viewers noticed the Facebook CEO has a thin layer of masking tape over his laptop camera and microphone. While the move may strike some as paranoid, the practice is recommended by security experts as another defense against hackers.

PHOTO: Mark Zuckerberg appears to be protecting his privacy by taping his computer camera and microphone.
Mark Zuckerberg appears to be protecting his privacy by taping his computer camera and microphone.

"It is not paranoia. This is basic security awareness and security appreciation," said online security expert Robert Siciliano. "Unfortunately there are many remote access Trojan viruses that can activate and enable a users webcam without their knowledge. That same webcam can also pick up room ambient sounds."

Siciliano told ABC News he recommends everyone — even a billionaire CEO — mask their webcam and also go to their "recording devices" settings to mute their webcam audio.

Mark Zuckerberg’s MacBook security advice? Put tape over the webcam and microphone

— David Iannuzzi (@Rom_Duck) June 22, 2016

Security 101, cover laptop webcam and microphone with tape #Zuckerberg

— Harsh Bilodiya (@harsh_bilodiya) June 22, 2016

ABC News Live

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Security 101, cover laptop webcam and microphone with tape #Zuckerberg

— Harsh Bilodiya (@harsh_bilodiya) June 22, 2016
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