@DirtyLilMonkey 

Hi,
For example, if you have a camera in your living room and do not want to be monitored or recorded by the camera, then you can enable Privacy Mode on the camera. It will prevent the camera from streaming and recording video and audio.

Typically, enabling privacy mode does not trigger notifications. Below are the instructions for manually enabling or disabling privacy mode. 
How to use the Privacy Mode of my Tapo cameras
 

You can also set the Automation entry to enable or disable privacy mode automatically. Below are the instructions to add the Automation entry.
How to create Smart Action (Automation or Shortcut) on Tapo app
 

In your situation, it's recommended to check if there are automation entries to enable your camera's privacy mode. If not, it's possible that you've accidentally enabled the camera's privacy mode. 

Please note that if you share your TP-Link account with other people, they can also log in to the Tapo app to manage your camera. It is recommended that you change the password of your TP-Link account and enable the 2FA feature to protect your TP-Link account.

Best Regards