The camera that sits atop Geauga Theater and shows Chardon Square is free for all to view — and would not need to be hacked.
The Chardon Square camera perched atop Geauga Theater that helps local snowbirds measure Chardon’s snow from a safe, warm distance caught itself in a communication by ISIS, according to a local television station.
The WEWS NewsChannel5 story led the 11 p.m. news and went viral on Facebook. Here’s that story.
But many of the claims by the private intelligence firm that tipped them off appear to be misleading.
In its main claim, the firm said ISIS had included Chardon’s camera link, along with other international cameras’ links, with a YouTube video about how to hack feeds, implying the Chardon feed had been hacked.
But the feed from Chardon’s camera, installed about 10 years ago by GeaugaTV founder Dave Jevnikar, is available to view anytime for free by visiting www.geaugatv.org. It is the third link down on the right hand of the website. Click here to view the feed live.
Jevnikar laughed when asked if the camera had been hacked by ISIS. He had heard about the story like everyone else — from a friend, in this instance City Manager Randy Sharpe.
“Anybody in the world going to the G-TV website would be able to watch that camera for 90 seconds at a time,” Jevnikar said Saturday morning. “It’s one of our more popular features.”
Sharpe said his phone had been buzzing Saturday morning. He contacted WEWS to correct misinformation for fear the television story was instilling fear in some residents.
And while there is no evidence ISIS has ever watched the feed, Sharpe said he has used the camera over the years to watch the Maple Festival parade and check snowfall in the mornings.
