It depends which camera. Security cameras in shared work areas are usually lawful with notice, and you cannot opt out of them. A webcam for meetings is normally a reasonable request, and refusing it can be a problem unless you have a disability or privacy reason. A webcam that must stay on all day at home is different: in many places that demand has been found unlawful, and you can refuse. Rules differ by country and state.
Three different cameras
Security cameras. In entrances, floors, stockrooms. Usually allowed with notice, for safety and theft prevention. Not in bathrooms or changing rooms. You cannot refuse these.
Meeting webcams. Turning your camera on for a call is a normal expectation in many teams. You can ask for exceptions, and good managers grant them for real reasons. Refusing outright may count as not meeting a reasonable instruction.
Constant monitoring webcams. Being told to keep a camera on your face all day while working at home is a different thing. Courts in several places have found it a privacy violation, and workers who refused and were fired have won.
How to refuse well
Ask for the policy in writing. State your reason plainly. Offer the alternative: "I'll have my camera on for meetings and share my finished work daily." Keep the exchange in writing.
Why the demand gets made
A manager who cannot see the work reaches for the camera. The camera shows a face, not the work. It answers the wrong question at a high cost in trust.
Where M-Tracker fits
The alternative you offer should be easy to accept. M-Tracker makes it easy. Each task has a brief, the finished work is checked against it, and the manager sees what was produced and accepted without seeing anyone's face or screen. "Here is the work, checked" is a better answer than a webcam, for both sides.
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Questions people ask
Can I be disciplined for turning my camera off in meetings?
Possibly, if the policy requires it and you have no stated reason. Ask for the policy.
What counts as a good reason?
Disability, medical, caregiving, a shared space, or bandwidth. Say it once, in writing.
Can they record meetings without telling me?
Usually not. Most places and most tools require notice to everyone on the call.
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