Apple says the iPhone 13 has privacy “built in from the ground up.” It pointed to the processing of voice commands and on-device features to block third-party tracking as evidence of that commitment.
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The features will arrive as part of iOS 15, which is set to be released on Monday. That means most iPhone users will benefit from the upgrade, not just those shopping for expensive new smartphones.
But Tuesday's keynote omitted two major issues that raise questions about Apple's privacy practices. The company failed to mention an emergency update to its operating systems that closed an exploit that has already been used to target activists and journalists. Apple also avoided mentioning its plans to spy on users by searching iPhones, Macs, and iPads for images of child pornography.
See also: iPhone 13 Pro/iPhone 13 Pro Max: What Apple said about the smartphones
On Monday, Apple released security updates for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac computers to fix a vulnerability allegedly exploited by invasive spyware created by NSO Group, an Israeli security firm.
Apple says it doubts the exploit posed a risk to most users, noting that any attack would have to be highly sophisticated and cost millions of dollars to develop. However, Citizen Lab, which is based at the University of Toronto, expressed concern about the exploit.
Apple also appears to have faced backlash over a currently delayed set of features designed to detect whether people have child sexual abuse images or videos stored on their devices. The features were originally intended to be included in iOS 15, iPad OS 15, WatchOS 8, and macOS Monterey.
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Security experts and digital privacy groups have condemned the plan and held protests on Monday before the iPhone's launch in front of about a dozen Apple stores.
Information source: cnet.com
