Sometimes when you install/launch certain apps for the first time, you are usually asked for permission on what it can or cannot do, such as whether it can be allowed access to your smartphone’s camera. Usually if you are using some kind of communications or photo app, it makes sense, but it seems that for iOS apps that allow this permission, it might not be as secure as you think.
According to Google engineer Felix Krause (via TNW), he has made a bit of an alarming discovery in which he found that apparently once you give an app permission to access your camera, it will be able to record you anytime without your permission/knowledge, although the catch is that the app will have to be open at that time.
For example say you use a chat app that also has video calling whose permission you’ve granted, and basically Krause’s findings suggest that even if you open the app to send messages and not video chat, the app (or a hacker) can actually record you in that moment. Krause demonstrates this issue in a video that you can check out above.
As to what one can do about it, Krause has suggested a number of methods, such as revoking camera access, although that could hamper or prevent certain apps from working. You could use camera covers which aren’t always a very elegant solution, but unfortunately those appear to be some of the options available at least until Apple decides to address it (if they address it).