I was taking a quiz on D2L on Firefox (windows 11) while using ChatGPT to check my answers when all of a sudden my internet cut in and out. It caused my quiz tab to minimize while everything else stayed open. Then the tab said “internet connection restored”.
This has happened twice and both times were during a quiz when I was using ChatGPT.
Is it right to assume that since this is my personal computer then they don’t know what else I have on my desktop?
They can, they do, and you’ve installed software to facilitate their access, so yes, they are doing it.
A general rule of thumb is, do not allow them to install anything on your personal hardware. If they provide the hardware, fine, but you treat their hardware as hostile. You cover the camera and you put it in a place where it’s not going to hear anything. You cover it with pillows too, to muffle sounds from other rooms. Assume it’s watching and listening to all it can.
Any hardware you install their stuff on, consider it compromised. Disconnect the web cam or cover it up. Do your stuff on another device that it’s not installed on. (The reason it wants webcam access is so it can see if you’re looking away.)
Honestly, includes peripherals. USB storage devices at a minimum.