Apple unveiled a new set of privacy and security features at the annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on Monday. These new features will give users more control over their data and improve online safety for children and adults.
“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,” Craig Federighi, the senior vice president of Software Engineering at Apple, said. “This approach is evident in a number of features on our platform, like the major updates to Safari Private Browsing, as well as the expansion of Lockdown Mode.”
Apple also unveiled its newest product — the Vision Pro headset — at the WWDC23.
Updates to Safari and Other New Privacy Features
The Safari Browser is set to receive new privacy features. Apple’s new “advanced tracking and fingerprinting protections go even further to help protect websites from using the latest techniques to track or identify a user’s device,” the company said.
To protect users’ privacy, Safari will lock pages when the browser is left unused in private mode. Users will need to provide their password or Touch ID to resume the session. Apple will also combat link tracking by removing trackers from the URLs that users post in Safari Private Browsing, Mail, and Messages.
Apple is also enhancing security protections for passwords and passkey sharing. Users can now create a group and share passwords securely through the iCloud Keychain.
“Additionally, one-time verification codes received in Mail will not automatically autofill in Safari, making it easy to securely log in without leaving the browser,” the company said in a press release.
Apple said Lockdown Mode will receive better protection against spyware attacks. This is crucial as researchers have found that certain apps can bypass VPN in iOS 16.1, even in Lockdown Mode. Meanwhile, Apple said Lockdown Mode is coming to watchOS.
Apple will also revamp app photo permissions for more privacy. Users can now limit the photos that apps have access to.
“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,” Apple said.
For developers, Apple is introducing new tools to provide more information about the data practices of third-party software development kits (SDKs). This will protect users and help developers select safe SDKs.
Apple’s New Safety Features
Apple unveiled several new safety features, like Check In, NameDrop, and Live Voicemail.
Check In lets users inform contacts they’ve arrived safely at a destination. NameDrop allows users to securely share their contact information using AirDrop. While the new Live Voicemail provides live transcripts of voicemails, giving users more control over which calls to answer.
Apple also announced new features to protect children and adults from sensitive content.
Communication Safety will cover videos and images that contain nudity with a warning message. Parents can turn on this feature in their Family Sharing plan to protect their children. Like Communication Safety, adults can also turn on Sensitive Content Warning on their devices to “avoid seeing unwanted nude images and videos.”
Apple said these features will be available this fall for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS.
Keeping Your Apple Devices Safe
As Apple works to improve the privacy and security of its devices, it’s crucial that users adopt proper cyber hygiene habits to stay safe online.
While hackers are known to capitalize on software vulnerabilities to breach devices, many attacks take advantage of users’ lax security practices.
