[Cheese Block]: An Intervention Without An Expiration Date That Matters

Webcam hacking, it is a reality.

Once your computer’s webcam is hijacked, all bits and bytes of your trackable offline existence is game. Game for those who pray on your vulnerable physicality.

Your privacy, we think it is important. If it matters to you as much as it matters to us, it is time for you to take charge of what you show, when you show, and how you show parts of yourself. Be the one who decides to be or not to be everyone or no one online.

The Cheese Block is a consumable, compostable, and cost-efficient malleable haptic interface for preventing strange webcam activities through physically materialized interventions.

How can we create an experience that is triggered by virtual activities but actuated in physical space? How can we make that connection visible? How can we lay seamlessly lay the bridge? This is when I thought of the old school peephole covers on doors. Webcams are doors to the great virtual outdoors. So why not design something that is skeuomorphic and reminiscent of a peephole covers?

Overall, the Cheese Block is quite easy to use and can be constructed by whomever is not allergic to cheese and has the will to tinker with an Arduino board, Processing, servo, ruler, and a plastic rubber band. We hope to see more people use it in the near future.

The Cheese Block.
An intervention without an expiration date that matters.