Apple iCloud scanning is coming to shared photos and files. According to Security.nl, Apple has announced that it will check content that people share through iCloud. The company says it looks for ‘harmful content’ but does not explain what that means.
Users can share photos in iCloud Photos and files in iCloud Drive through a link. They can share only with chosen people or with anyone who has the link. The check applies to the second option, ‘Anyone with the Link’. It starts with iOS, iPadOS, macOS and visionOS 27.3.
To make the check possible, these files will no longer be end-to-end encrypted. End-to-end encryption normally means that only the sender and the recipient can read the content. This also applies when the sender and the people who download the file have Advanced Data Protection turned on. So can Apple see your iCloud photos? For files shared with anyone who has the link, Apple will check the content.
If Apple considers a file harmful, it says it can delete, block or change the content. It can also disable the user’s account and prevent the user from creating a new Apple account with the same email address or phone number. Apple may even contact the authorities. The company does not say why it is introducing these checks.
What can you do? Think carefully before you choose ‘Anyone with the Link’. That setting decides whether Apple checks your files and whether they stay end-to-end encrypted.
Read support.apple.com article for more information.
