Apple touts iPhone 13 privacy features, but fails to fix spyware issues

This story is part of Apple event, our comprehensive coverage of the latest Apple news.

Apple claims the iPhone 13 offers “built-in right from the start” privacy. He pointed to the on-device processing of voice commands and features to block third-party tracking as proof of that commitment.

The features will come as part of iOS 15, which rolls out on Monday. This means that most iPhone users will benefit from the upgrade, not just those who buy fancy new smartphones.

For example, the new operating system offers Siri voice recognition on the device. This means Siri voice requests don’t leave your iPhone to be handled remotely. The smart tracking prevention feature also prevents trackers from profiling you using your IP address. Protecting email privacy also hides your IP address and prevents senders from being notified of your email activity, the company said.

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Tuesday’s rollout of flagship devices, however, ignored two significant issues that raise questions about Apple’s privacy practices. The company didn’t mention an urgent update to its operating systems that shut down an exploit that was once used to target activists and journalists. Apple has also avoided its own plans to spy on users by searching iPhones, Macs and iPads for images of child abuse.

Apple on Monday released security updates for its iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac computers that shut down a vulnerability that was allegedly exploited by invasive spyware built by NSO Group, an Israeli security company.

The fix stems from research by The Citizen Lab, a public interest cybersecurity group that discovered that a Saudi activist’s phone had been infected with Pegasus, the NSO Group’s best-known product. According to Citizen Lab, the zero-day, zero-click exploit against iMessage, which he dubbed ForcedEntry, targets Apple’s image rendering library and has been effective against iPhones, laptops and Apple watches in the world. ‘business.

Apple says it’s doubtful the exploit poses a danger to most users, noting that any attack would have to be very sophisticated and cost millions of dollars to develop. As a result, a cybercriminal would likely keep it for use against a specific person.

Still, Citizen Lab, which is based at the University of Toronto, has expressed concern about the potential use of the exploit. He determined that NSO used the vulnerability to remotely infect devices with its Pegasus spyware, adding that the exploit has likely been in use since February. “We urge readers to update all Apple devices immediately,” the group said.

Separately, Apple has faced a rollback for a now postponed feature set designed to detect whether people have images or videos of child abuse stored on their device. The features were originally intended to be included in iOS 15, iPad OS 15, WatchOS 8, and MacOS Monterey.

The feature converts images into unique bits of code, called hashes. The hashes are then verified against a database of known child exploitation content maintained by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. If a certain number of matches are found, Apple receives an alert and can then choose to investigate.

Security experts and digital privacy groups, including the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Fight for the Future, and Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (STOP), decried the plan and staged protests on Monday ahead of the iPhone’s launch in front of a dozen of Apple stores.

In addition to constituting corporate surveillance, the groups say the feature would create a backdoor in consumer devices that could be exploited by authoritarian regimes and potentially put lives at risk.

Apple hasn’t said when the feature will be released. On September 3, it delayed the rollout to make improvements and address privacy concerns.

Apple’s fall launch – which was virtual again this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic – tends to be the biggest of the year for the company. That’s when the company announces new iPhones, which account for about half of its revenue. Its 2020 lineup, the iPhone 12, featured 5G and the first major design overhaul since the iPhone X of 2017.

Ian Sherr of CNET contributed to this report.