Laser beams can blind security cameras, but lasting damage is harder to cause

A laser can temporarily blind a security camera and, in limited circumstances, permanently damage its sensor or lens. The risk depends on the laser’s power, the camera’s age and how steadily the beam is held, while attempting to damage a camera may also be illegal.

Most pointers below 5 milliwatts are unlikely to cause more than temporary glare; lasting damage would generally require a stronger laser held on target for about 10 seconds. In tests, researchers struggled to keep a laser aimed at a camera from roughly five feet away, and newer cameras have protections that make permanent damage harder. The article also cites a 2021 Florida case in which damage to several cameras exceeded $2,000, but the cameras recorded the person responsible.