While I am glad I was able to offer some more information on this, I am sad to hear that you are having a hard time convincing others of the dangers. Many people today do not consider things, until they happen to them - which is often way too late!

Maybe you could build a collection of facts of the various ways things can go wrong and then "casually bring up the topic in a non-aggressive suggestion" like...I was looking around the internet and WOW, you would not believe what I stumbled upon.!? If you thought the bad guys + malware was bad enough...wait until you meet some bad guys + malware + webcams/public cams.!

Here are a few to add to your collection:

A coworker uses a webcam to upskirt his coworker.

A worm discovered in the wild in 2004 that's not just settling for invading users' PCs--it wants to invade their homes, too.

According to Spanish newspaper reports, two seventeen year-olds were arrested yesterday in Alicante, charged with creating a Trojan horse which allowed them to remotely take control of webcams within local educational institutions. This enabled the duo to spy on students and record compromising images, which they then used to blackmail the victims into giving them money.

Webcams: tools for safety or bait for stalkers?

A U.K. government review in 2004 found that security cameras were effective in tackling vehicle crime but had limited effect on other crimes. Improved street-lighting recorded better results.

DAYTON- Mark Wayne Miller, age 45, of Dayton, pled guilty yesterday to one count of Computer Intrusion, arising out of his equally successful efforts to secretly intercept, watch, and record live webcam footage of minor-age girls, without the girls knowing that Miller was watching and recording. Miller faces a minimum of 35 years and up to life in prison when sentenced.


Those lovely cameras at use!