Apple’s International Release for Child Abuse Material and 2 other Security Features

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Apple’s feature of communication safety in Messages is aimed at automatically smudging nude images sent to children through messaging service. The company is now announcing this safety feature to various countries. Apple launched this feature last year and is now bringing it to the Messages apps on iPadOS, iOS, and macOS.

This security feature will reach users in the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand very soon. The scanning process will take place on-device without affecting the end-to-end encryption of messages. This article will provide instructions on how to enable this feature. It is integrated with the existing Family Sharing system of Apple.

However, the opt-in feature has the ability to scan receiving and sending pictures of pornographic material to secure children. This feature will provide guidance for seeking help after finding a blurred image, besides encouragement and guarantees. It will generate a warning message that the image isn’t ok to view and immediately leave the conversation.

Children will get An Adult Warning Message

The message says you aren’t alone and can get support from a trustworthy source with experienced professionals anytime. It also says you can block this person anytime. The recent release is similar to Apple’s initial message security release in the United States. Children will get a message with an adult option about a flagged mark image. 

Apple actually announced this feature in August 2021 and claimed that it would generate a warning message automatically. More critics rapidly pointed to the risky approach of separating strange kids from unmasking their parents. It is noteworthy that Apple is now extending the release of a new feature for Siri, Safari, and Spotlight searches.

Child Sexual Abuse Material Security Feature

The feature will point users towards safety resources after they are searching for child sexual abuse-related topics. Apple basically announced the 3rd initiative in August 2021 along with these 2 safety features to protect children. It involves scanning images for CSAM (child sexual abuse material) before uploading them to an iCloud account of a user.

Meanwhile, this safety feature experienced extreme retaliation from privacy backers. They promoted it would provide a backdoor to undercut the Apple user’s security. The tech giant also announced that the company will delay the release of the entire 3 features for some technical reasons. Apple has already released the first 2 security features.

Apple Megasafe Battery Pack with 7.5 W Charging

Apple hasn’t yet announced any update about the release of the most controversial CSAM security feature. Moreover, the Apple Megasafe Battery Pack is the latest invention. It allows users to charge an iPhone without a wire at a rapid 7.5 watts rather than the original 5 watts charging.

Users can wait for an update or plug a Lightning to USB cable to a Mac or iPad from the pack to fix the issue. Experts suggested that users should avoid installing the update. However, some users said the Mini-Magsafe combo was found unreasonably warm without a case. But the Megasafe Battery Pack was a bit comfortable and supported sliding around with a case.

Moreover, Dieter pointed out that the Megasafe Battery Pack offers 5W charging speeds. It was designed to decrease heat and maintain the durability of the battery. Meanwhile, Apple has made other modifications in order to handle the heat problem. The company has altered the duration and frequency of the charge. It would need to charge less often if you charge at 7.5 W for a short time duration.