Apple announces powerful new privacy and security features

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June 5, 2023

PRESS RELEASE

Apple announces powerful new privacy and security features

CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today announced its latest privacy and security innovations, including major updates to Safari Private Browsing, Communication Safety, and Lockdown Mode, as well as app privacy improvements. Additionally, Apple introduced new features designed with privacy and security at their core, including Check In, NameDrop, and Live Voicemail. These new efforts are the latest manifestation of Apple's deeply held belief that privacy is a fundamental human right and that good privacy is built on a foundation of strong security.

"Privacy is designed into every new Apple product and feature from the beginning," said Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of Software Engineering. "We are focused on keeping our users in the driver's seat when it comes to their data by continuing to provide industry-leading privacy features and the best data security in the world. This approach is evident in a number of features on our platforms, like the major updates to Safari Private Browsing, as well as the expansion of Lockdown Mode."

Privacy Features Give Users Greater Control of Their Data

Major Updates to Safari Private BrowsingSafari introduced private browsing years before any other browser. This year, a significant update provides even greater protection against trackers as users browse the web and from people who might have access to their device. Advanced tracking and fingerprinting protections go even further to help prevent websites from using the latest techniques to track or identify a user's device. Private Browsing now locks when not in use, allowing a user to keep tabs open even when stepping away from the device.

Photos Privacy Permission ImprovementsA new embedded Photos picker can help users share specific photos with apps while keeping the rest of their library private. When apps ask to access the user's entire photo library, the user will be shown more information about what they’ll be sharing, along with occasional reminders of their choice.

Link Tracking Protection in Messages, Mail, and Safari Private BrowsingSome websites add extra information to their URLs in order to track users across other websites. Now this information will be removed from the links users share in Messages and Mail, and the links will still work as expected. This information will also be removed from links in Safari Private Browsing.

App Privacy ImprovementsNew tools give developers more information about the data practices of third-party software development kits (SDKs) they use in their apps, allowing them to provide even more accurate Privacy Nutrition Labels. These changes also improve the integrity of the software supply chain by supporting signatures for third-party SDKs to add another layer of protection against abuse.

Features Designed to Help Protect User Safety

Communication SafetyCommunication Safety, designed to warn children when receiving or sending photos in Messages that contain nudity, now covers video content in addition to still images. A new API lets developers integrate Communication Safety right into their apps. Additionally, the feature will now help keep kids safe when they’re sending and receiving an AirDrop, a FaceTime video message, and when using the Phone app to receive a Contact Poster and the Photos picker to choose content to send. All image and video processing for Communication Safety occurs on device, meaning neither Apple nor any third party gets access to the content. These warnings will be turned on for the child accounts in their Family Sharing plan, and can be disabled by the parent.

Sensitive Content WarningSensitive Content Warning helps adult users avoid seeing unwanted nude images and videos when receiving them in Messages, an AirDrop, a FaceTime video message, and the Phone app when receiving a Contact Poster, all using the same privacy-preserving technology at the core of Communication Safety. The feature is optional and can be turned on by the user in Privacy & Security settings. As with Communication Safety, all image and video processing for Sensitive Content Warning occurs on device, meaning neither Apple nor any third party gets access to the content.

Powerful Security Protections to Safeguard User Data

Passwords and Passkeys UpdatesFor easier and more secure password and passkey sharing, users can create a group to share a set of passwords, and everyone in the group can add and edit passwords to keep them up to date. Since sharing is through iCloud Keychain, it is end-to-end encrypted. Additionally, one-time verification codes received in Mail will now automatically autofill in Safari, making it easy to securely log in without leaving the browser.

Lockdown ModeLockdown Mode expands to provide even more protections for those who may be targeted by mercenary spyware because of who they are or what they do. New protections encompass safer wireless connectivity defaults, media handling, media sharing defaults, sandboxing, and network security optimizations. Turning on Lockdown Mode further hardens device defenses and strictly limits certain functionalities, sharply reducing the attack surface for those who need additional protections. Additionally, Lockdown Mode will be supported on watchOS.

Additional Features Designed with Privacy and Security at Their Core

These features will be coming in free software updates this fall.

Press Contacts

Shane Bauer

Apple

[email protected]

Scott Radcliffe

Apple

[email protected]

Apple Media Helpline

[email protected]

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Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV. Apple's five software platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, and iCloud. Apple's more than 100,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and to leaving the world better than we found it.

Shane Bauer

Apple

[email protected]

Scott Radcliffe

Apple

[email protected]

Apple Media Helpline

[email protected]