Apple turns iCloud into spy cloud, will start looking at public share links

Apple is planning to monitor publicly shared iCloud content for potentially harmful material, according to a support page published on Tuesday. This announcement pertains specifically to items that can be accessed by anyone through a public link, as opposed to content shared directly with other individuals. The company has stated that "items shared using Anyone with the Link will be checked by Apple for harmful content," although Apple has not provided a clear definition of what constitutes harmful content.

Apple's decision to moderate content will apply to all iCloud items shared using the "Anyone with the Link" option, which eliminates end-to-end encryption from the shared item, even if Apple's optional Advanced Data Protection feature remains enabled. If users attempt to upload harmful content, Apple reserves the right to modify, remove, or delete the content, as well as potentially blocking or disabling associated accounts.

The company also stated that it reserves the right to involve law enforcement when necessary, implying that its definition of harmful content could encompass child sexual abuse material, malware, and other potentially unlawful content. Apple has not disclosed whether human moderators, automated systems, or a combination of both will be responsible for identifying and removing so-called harmful content, nor has the company clarified whether any decisions will be left to artificial intelligence.

The scanning of content will commence with version 27.3 of Apple's various operating systems, with a general release expected in December. Apple did not respond to inquiries regarding this story.