Furthermore, how does the OS even make this possible?
The OS should block new uses of the camera if it's locked (sort of - face unlock obviously needs an exception), but killing existing ones seems rather aggressive and would create a new form of user hostility in relatively common situations.
For video I agree it doesn't make much sense, but in a web app world if you're recording video you may want to turn off the screen or do other things just like a computer. It should at least show you in the notification area.