<P> In January 2005, some search engine queries were published in an online forum which allow anyone to find thousands of Panasonic - and Axis high - end web cameras, provided that they have a web - based interface for remote viewing . Many such cameras are running on default configuration, which does not require any password login or IP address verification, making them viewable by anyone . </P> <P> In the 2010 Robbins v. Lower Merion School District "WebcamGate" case, plaintiffs charged that two suburban Philadelphia high schools secretly spied on students - by surreptitiously remotely activating iSight webcams embedded in school - issued MacBook laptops the students were using at home--and thereby infringed on their privacy rights . School authorities admitted to secretly snapping over 66,000 photographs, including shots of students in the privacy of their bedrooms, including some with teenagers in various state of undress . The school board involved quickly disabled their laptop spyware program after parents filed lawsuits against the board and various individuals . </P> <P> Webcams allow for inexpensive, real - time video chat and webcasting, in both amateur and professional pursuits . They are frequently used in online dating and for online personal services offered mainly by women when camgirling . However, the ease of webcam use through the Internet for video chat has also caused issues . For example, moderation system of various video chat websites such as Omegle has been criticized as being ineffective, with sexual content still rampant . In a 2013 case, the transmission of nude photos and videos via Omegle from a teenage girl to a schoolteacher resulted in a child pornography charge . </P> <P> YouTube is a popular website hosting many videos made using webcams . News websites such as the BBC also produce professional live news videos using webcams rather than traditional cameras . </P>

Is a web cam an input or output device