Never—under any circumstances—place a camera in a bathroom, a guest bedroom, or aimed at a bed. Even as a prank. Even turned off. The risk of legal liability and moral horror is absolute. The Social Fixes (How to Preserve Relationships) 1. The Neighborly Conversation Before you drill holes in your fascia, talk to the people next door. Say: "I’m installing a camera system to catch package thieves. I’ve angled it to avoid your yard, but the audio might pick up noise. Do you have concerns?" Most disputes dissolve with transparency. A secret camera is a threat. A disclosed camera is a deterrent.

Do not install a camera that you would be ashamed to explain in a courtroom, or embarrassed to show a guest.

Poor password hygiene, unpatched firmware, and default settings turn these "security" devices into espionage tools. If a camera watches your children play or overlooks your computer screen (where you type passwords), a breach means total exposure. While video is alarming, audio presents a legal minefield. Unlike video, which is often allowed in public view, recording audio without consent is illegal in many states (so-called "two-party consent" states like California, Pennsylvania, and Florida).

Hacked home cameras have led to some of the most disturbing privacy violations of the digital age. In 2021, a group of hackers accessed thousands of Verkada cameras, including those inside women's health clinics, psychiatric hospitals, and private homes. They watched live footage and, in some cases, spoke through the cameras’ speakers to taunt victims.