Apple plans to implement moderation for publicly accessible iCloud share links starting with version 27.3 of its operating systems, based on information published by The Register.
The company announced that items shared via the Anyone with the Link feature will undergo scanning to identify harmful content. While Apple has not provided a specific definition for what constitutes harmful material, the policy suggests the scope includes child sexual abuse material, malware, and other potentially unlawful data. This change applies to iCloud content shared with the public, effectively removing end-to-end encryption for those specific items even if users have Advanced Data Protection enabled.
Apple reserves the right to remove, modify, or delete content, and may disable accounts or involve law enforcement if violations are detected. The tech giant has not clarified whether the moderation process will rely on automated systems, human reviewers, or artificial intelligence. These updates are included in the beta versions of iOS, iPadOS, macOS and visionOS released to developers on Tuesday, with a general release expected in December. The lack of clear definitions regarding harmful content has raised concerns about potential overreach and the reliability of automated moderation tools in identifying prohibited material.
Source: The Register
