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Keep prying eyes off you and your property with this simple guide
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Blinding a surveillance camera will obscure your identity, but not your presence. A person watching through the camera will be able to tell that you're there. They just won't be able to see what you're doing. Regardless, we’ll teach you how to blind a camera in the dark using an LED, an infrared laser, or special anti-surveillance clothing. We’ll even break down what you can do if you have a nosy neighbor trying to spy on you with a camera!
How to Blind a CCTV Camera
- Shine an LED flashlight directly at a camera to blind it temporarily.
- Infrared lasers can obscure a camera’s image if you shine them at the lens.
- Talk to your neighbor about removing or adjusting invasive cameras before you take steps to block them with a privacy fence or IR illuminator.
Steps
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Get a powerful LED (light-emitting diode) flashlight. The brighter the flashlight, the better. Use a small device that you can easily store. This method only works well in the dark, so save it for stealthy excursions at night (or if you’re in an enclosed space). [1] X Research source -
Block your face with the light and point it at the camera. Figure out exactly where the camera is, and shine the light directly into the lens. When properly executed, this technique should create a lens flare that makes it nearly impossible to tell what you look like. [2] X Research source- Just know the flashlight method is not subtle. The sudden flash of light will alert any vigilant guard to your presence. However, you should at least be able to use the bright light to obscure your face.
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Hold the flashlight steady and make adjustments as you move. Be careful not to drop the light beam from the camera lens, lest you reveal your face. Make sure not to shine the light onto your face. Remember: this method only works if you are quick and precise. [3] X Research source -
Attach infrared LEDs to your clothing. For a quick fix, superglue a string of bright lights to a hat or headband. If you wish to get more involved, you can craft an LED “mask” that even more heavily obscures your face. Make sure the lights are bright enough to blot out your face from the camera's view, but not so bright that they blind you. For an even more effective option, use infrared LEDs , which will blind the camera without emitting visible light. [4] X Research sourceTheresa Payton, Cybersecurity AuthorityIn the age of big data, you are no longer an individual; you are a data cluster bound to a vast network of other clusters that are being constantly analyzed and reconfigured into marketable products. The data collected about you will affect your life in tangible ways, including the opportunities you have to get a job, a loan, a license, a place to live, or an insurance policy.
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Point an infrared laser directly into the camera lens. This method is more subtle than shining a bright light around, but it also requires that you are much more precise. If the laser’s point slips away from the lens for even an instant, the camera will catch your face. Act quickly and efficiently to avoid detection. [5] X Research source- This method should work day or night. It may be somewhat more effective in the dark.
- You can use any standard laser pointer here. The stronger the laser, the more powerful the blinding effect.
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Keep the laser fixed on the lens as you move. Anything that comes between the laser and the camera will instantly un-blind the camera. Also, the effectiveness of this method is a bit hard to gauge. From your end of the camera, you cannot tell if the laser is aimed correctly. [6] X Research source- Do not point the laser into your eye. You might blind yourself! Consider wearing dark glasses to protect your vision, but do not expect them to keep you completely safe.
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Look out for other cameras that may pick you up. The focus required of this method means that you can only blind one camera with one laser. The laser is more subtle than LEDs or a flashlight, but the effect is limited. If you need to blind multiple cameras at once, then you'll need as many lasers as there are cameras. Consider coordinating with friends. [7] X Research source
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Try talking to your neighbor about your concerns. Before investing in any fancy high-tech anti-camera gear, ask your neighbor to reposition the camera. It’s possible that they don’t even realize they’re violating your privacy, and they may simply be trying to cover a part of their property they can’t easily see. It’s also possible their camera has motion tracking and they don’t even know it’s rotating to peek into your home or yard. [8] X Research source- You might knock on their door and say something like, “Hey, I’m sorry for bothering you, but I noticed one of your cameras looks directly into my yard in the back. Is there any way you could turn it a little so we have our private space back there?”
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Contact law enforcement to see if this is illegal. Depending on where you live, your neighbor may actually be committing a crime. If they refuse to adjust the camera, look up your local privacy laws. The odds are very high that your neighbor is violating a local ordinance or state law. If they are, reach out to the police department to see if they’ll talk to your neighbor. You may also want to consult a lawyer regarding a potential civil suit. [9] X Research source- Your next step here should depend on how the convo with your neighbor went. If they were cordial and receptive but just haven’t moved the camera yet, try talking to them again before you get the police or a lawyer involved.
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Block the camera with a tall plant, fence panel, or divider. If the camera is in a fixed position, erect something on your property to just keep the camera from peering in on you. You could plant a small tree or large shrub to block the camera, or buy a privacy divider . Depending on the design of your fence, you may also be able to just extend the fence vertically wherever the camera is located for a more seamless design. [10] X Research source- You can extend a wood fence, for example, by installing more vertical boards and nailing them into the pre-existing fence. If you have a chain link fence, you could install two new vertical posts, add the links, and then cover the links with fake foliage.
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Blind the camera with an IR illuminator. IR&tag=wikihow522972-20 Illuminators are designed to help cameras and night-vision goggles see at night. They work by emitting invisible rays of infrared light that the cameras pick up. But, if you point one of these illuminators directly at the lens of a camera, it will blind it. Plug one of these illuminators in and point it directly at the camera. [11] X Research source- The IR illuminator will be much more efficient at blinding the camera at night. It should still help obscure the camera during the day, though—it just may not blind it 100%.
- Just FYI, this can destroy a camera. Do not do this if you’ve confirmed your neighbor is legally in the clear or if you’re worried about retaliation.
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Set out moving objects to confuse motion-tracking cameras. Do you notice that their camera physically tilts or pans to follow you? If so, your neighbor has a motion-sensitive camera. Put something out in a corner of the yard (or outside of your home) that you don’t care about to attract the camera and keep it fixed on that. A piece of paper tied to a ribbon, a windmill, a weather vane, or some other moving item should do the trick!- This may not work for heat-based motion cameras. These are pretty expensive though, and it’s extremely unlikely your neighbor has one of these.
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Community Q&A
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QuestionCan a laser pointer damage a security camera?This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.wikiHow Staff EditorStaff AnswerIt is possible but most standard laser pointers won’t have sufficient power to damage the sensor of a security camera; and while a more powerful pointer is more likely be able to cause sensor damage, it has to be aimed extremely accurately and steadily, during which time the person so pointing is captured by the camera. Moreover, there is no way for the person pointing the laser to tell whether or not damage has occurred and reflection off the camera can damage the eyes. High level lasers not accessible to the average person, such as those used in medical equipment or for laser light shows, are able to affect a camera sensor with greater ease; this is why use of such lasers requires training and registration. Note that disabling security cameras with a laser is not legal in most jurisdictions.
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QuestionIs it legal to have a camera pointed at neighbor's house?This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.wikiHow Staff EditorStaff AnswerAny answer depends on your jurisdiction; in some places it may be okay to record generalized visual footage as long as it’s not also recording audio, while in some jurisdictions it may be viewed as illegal surveillance. To be certain, seek legal advice from an attorney or ask your local municipality for guidance. It might be in your favor if you can demonstrate that the security camera is only picking up some sideways views as a side effect of primarily focusing on covering your own property and that there is no intention to surveil your neighbors. As a matter of courtesy, even if it's confirmed your camera's placement is legal, talk to your neighbor to explain that full coverage of your own property also means you happen to capture some of theirs but that you have no intention of disturbing their privacy. If possible, avoid such positioning altogether, both for legal certainty and good neighborliness.
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QuestionCan a laser mess up a camera?This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.wikiHow Staff EditorStaff AnswerYes, this is possible. Lasers used for light show displays tend to be a common source of camera damage, as these are powerful lasers. To avoid damage to your camera's sensor at a concert or other place where laser lights are in action, do not take photographs of the apparatus projecting the laser and do not photograph direct beams of the laser light. It is also good sense to not aim any laser, whether or a pointer or otherwise at a camera, as the camera's sensor is even more sensitive than the human eye.
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Tips
- Try simply disguising yourself. If it is more important to avoid being identified than escaping detection, you might be able to get away with covering your face. Wear dark glasses, a kerchief, a ski mask, or other face-obscuring garb.Thanks
- Remember that being watched by a surveillance camera:
- To bring people who are doing something illegal outside places where a person reasonably expects privacy to justice is legally justified.
- Where a person reasonably expects privacy without one's permission is the perpetrator's fault and, more importantly, illegal. Everyone has the right to go about their business without the latter being done to them.
Thanks - Call the police if someone is watching you without your permission and/or others without their permission on a surveillance camera in places where a person reasonably expects privacy.Thanks
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Warnings
- There are filters that prevent this from working on some cameras. Indeed, not all cameras are sensitive to IR in the first place.Thanks
- Flash cameras may not be fooled.Thanks
- It is legal to hide yourself from surveillance cameras. Crime and illegal activity is another matter. Be careful, be vigilant, and be smart about what you're doing.Thanks
- Enough high-brightness IR can cause eye damage.Thanks
- These devices may trigger some IR-based fire detectors.Thanks
- Never do something illegal outside places where a person reasonably expects privacy. It's legal for someone to watch you on a surveillance camera in those places to bring you to justice for doing something illegal.Thanks
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References
- ↑ https://youtu.be/B_lwxOunSmk?t=26
- ↑ https://youtu.be/B_lwxOunSmk?t=26
- ↑ https://youtu.be/B_lwxOunSmk?t=26
- ↑ https://www.popsci.com/technology/camera-shy-hoodie-privacy/
- ↑ https://www.eufy.com/blogs/security-camera/how-to-block-neighbors-security-camera
- ↑ https://www.eufy.com/blogs/security-camera/how-to-block-neighbors-security-camera
- ↑ https://www.eufy.com/blogs/security-camera/how-to-block-neighbors-security-camera
- ↑ https://montavue.com/blogs/news/can-neighbors-legally-have-security-cameras-pointed-towards-your-house
- ↑ https://montavue.com/blogs/news/can-neighbors-legally-have-security-cameras-pointed-towards-your-house
About This Article
Article Summary
X
The simplest way to blind a surveillance camera is to cover the camera’s lens by smearing it with petroleum jelly, putting tape over it, or draping something like a bag or piece of fabric over the camera. Alternatively, shine a powerful flashlight into the camera lens to blind it. You can also try shining a laser pointer directly into the camera lens. However, be aware that the camera will catch your face if the laser pointer slips away from the lens for even an instant. To learn how attach LED lights to your clothing to blind surveillance cameras, scroll down!
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