Apple has announced that, starting with iOS 27.3, iPadOS 27.3, macOS 27.3, and visionOS 27.3, it will screen photos, files, and other items shared publicly through iCloud's "Anyone with the link" feature for harmful content. If uploaded content is deemed harmful, Apple reserves the right to relocate, reject, modify, remove, or delete the material, and may ban or disable Apple accounts, block the associated email addresses or phone numbers from registering new accounts, and refer the matter to law enforcement when necessary. Apple has not yet clearly defined the scope of "harmful content," which is presumed to include malware, malicious files, and child sexual abuse material, among other things. This review applies only to the "Anyone with the link" public sharing mode; content shared via "Send a Copy" or links shared solely with "specific people" is not subject to the review. All relevant content open to everyone—even with Advanced Data Protection enabled—will no longer enjoy end-to-end encryption protection. Apple has not yet stated whether public links created before the update will be retroactively checked. Beta versions of the relevant system updates have been provided to developers, with an official release expected in December.
