It is well known hackers, the NSA, CIA and other groups have created malware to secretly turn on your webcam and microphone on your phone, tv etc.. But fortunately on our computers and laptops we have some options.
Most webcams use the "uvcvideo" kernel module / driver. You can disable this in two ways on boot. I recommend both just as a failsafe.
Disable it on rc.local once your system boots automatically
Add the followi........
My mother needed a new laptop and I recommended her the same one I would have bought myself or my wife, that means the cheapest possible laptop with the most features for the money.
This HP shines at this price point and one thing that made me stay away from buying more and recommending HP/Compaq was the poor battery life. Not anymore, this model has an industry leading up to 4 hours of battery life.
Key Factors for Choosing It:
HDMI Out........