Apple launches HomeKit camera with video disabled by default for privacy

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Apple has introduced a new AHC-01 HomeKit camera that ships with its video recording feature disabled. The company's stated goal is to provide default privacy, reduce energy consumption by approximately 40%, and minimize security vulnerabilities. The hardware includes a video encoding chip, but it is locked at the firmware level until a user manually enables it via the Home app or command-line tools. Activating video recording may have legal implications, as continuous recording without explicit consent can violate regulations like the GDPR in the EU and CCPA in parts of the US.

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