Apple to Implement Harmful Content Scanning for Shared iCloud Links in iOS 27.3
Apple has announced that starting with the release of iOS 27.3, macOS, iPadOS, and visionOS, the company will scan items shared via 'Anyone with the Link' permissions on iCloud for harmful content. This policy change means that files shared through these public links will no longer be protected by end-to-end encryption, as Apple requires access to inspect the data. While the company has not explicitly defined 'harmful content,' the move follows significant pressure from activists to combat child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on its platforms. Apple stated it reserves the right to remove content, disable accounts, or involve law enforcement if violations are detected. The developer betas for these updates have already launched, with a general release expected in December.
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Topics: content moderation data privacy end-to-end encryption iCloud iOS update