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Apple will review public iCloud links, ending their end-to-end encryption
Apple will check iCloud items shared with “Anyone with the Link” for harmful content in software version 27.3 and later. The change gives Apple access to review shared material and means those items will no longer be end-to-end encrypted, raising a privacy consideration for people who use these links.
Apple has not defined “harmful content”, but the policy follows calls for it to tackle child sexual abuse material stored in iCloud. It says it may move, refuse, modify or delete content, restrict accounts or, if necessary, contact law enforcement. The first developer betas of version 27.3 have been released, and Apple plans to launch iOS 27.3 in December.
In short
- Apple will scan iCloud items shared by anyone-with-the-link.
- Those shared items will no longer be end-to-end encrypted.
- Apple may remove content, restrict accounts or contact law enforcement.
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The case for
Reviewing material shared through public iCloud links could help Apple identify and limit the spread of child sexual abuse material and other harmful content, while enabling it to act on reports and, where necessary, alert law enforcement. People who receive such links may have little control over what is shared, so the policy can be defended as a targeted safety measure for content made accessible beyond its owner.
The case against
Giving Apple access to review these files weakens the privacy protections users may expect from iCloud and creates uncertainty about how broadly the undefined term “harmful content” could be applied. Even if the change is limited to public links, people may share sensitive material through them, and expanding access or enforcement powers can raise concerns about misuse, errors and future scope.
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Originally published by The Verge as “Apple will check shared iCloud links for ‘harmful content’”.