Webcam paranoia? These sliding covers provide all the privacy you want, and they're under $1 a pop

What is it?

.Does the black abyss of your webcam, and its potential for cyber-surveillance, make your hair stand on end? No one likes the feeling of being watched, especially after hearing horror stories of hackers harassing people through that eye on the top of their screen. Fair enough, but put away that electrical tape There's a better way: this pack of Zucucuc Camera Covers that you just stick on your device. They'll assure your privacy without leaving gummy adhesive residue on your expensive laptop screen, and best of all? You can grab 'em on sale for under $1 a pop at Amazon.

Amazon

Zucucuc Camera Cover, 12-Pack

$8$9Save $1

Cross-platform privacy: This set comes with six laptop-size slides and six designed for your phone or tablet.

$8 at Amazon

Why is it a good deal?

The comfort of knowing you have privacy while you're using your devices is priceless, but, hey, we won't argue with a price this low! In fact, we've never seen these gizmos on sale for less than they are now, and at just $8 for a 12-pack, you'll have enough to cover up the cameras on every piece of tech you own.

Why do I need this?

There's another benefit to using a webcam cover: It protects against dirt and dust. Let's face it — we all need our webcams for the myriad Skype and Zoom calls we take for work, but we don't always want it facing us. These covers are an easy, damage-free solution to your privacy concerns. They fit on most every model of laptop, but this set includes a half dozen small ones that can be used to cover the cam on your phone or tablet.

It really is press-and-play; just remove the backing of the cover and press it firmly against the screen for about 15 seconds and you're good to go. Let me guess: You're wondering whether it will get in the way of closing your laptop. The answer? Nope! At 0.027 inches thick (that's about five pieces of paper put together), it's barely there.

What reviewers say

"Now my FBI agent can only hear me," one user quipped. "It blocks the camera to keep those pesky hackers, both civilian and government, from looking at me. It has saved me from answering future questions of someone wondering why I hung that picture up where I did. ... All Phillip (my assigned agent's name, I presume) can do is suffer and only hear my voice. Oh, and look at my desktop. But he won’t be able to see me, and that’s all that truly matters!"

All joking aside, these really are great for privacy. Another user called these "tiny must-haves." "It's been an online school year and a remote job year during the pandemic. These camera covers that allow you to slide them open to use the camera or close it have been a great convenience! Arrived quickly and used them on my laptops and my kids' laptops."

"I have enjoyed having this on my the front of my phone, because I know that Google, et al, is no longer able to watch me as I surf the web," shared a final fan. "The 'sliding door' feature allows you to slide it over to the side to expose the front camera to take selfies. Otherwise, the front camera cannot see me. It was really easy to install. The only problem is if you put it in a tight pocket, you can risk scraping it off your camera. But I usually carry my phone in my hand or on the car seat, so that's not an issue for me."

These could also be used on smart-home devices. All the convenience of Alexa or Google Assistant without the ability to see what you're cooking for dinner.

Amazon

Zucucuc Camera Cover, 12-Pack

$8$9Save $1

No privacy? No problem — just slap one of these handy covers on.

$8 at Amazon

The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.

If you have Amazon Prime, you’ll get free shipping, of course. Not yet a member? No problem. You can sign up for your free 30-day trial here. (And by the way, those without Prime still get free shipping on orders of $25 or more.)

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