The feature was released in the US last year and now it is coming to the UK, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. But what is it exactly?
This new feature is aimed at children’s protection against nude photos. It disables them to send or receive this kind of content. As explained on Apple’s website, ‘if Messages detects that a child receives or is attempting to send this type of photo, Messages blurs the photo before it’s viewed on your child’s device and provides guidance and age-appropriate resources to help them make a safe choice, including contacting someone they trust if they choose.’
The screenshots below show how a child could get help after receiving a photo containing nudity:
Moreover, the following screenshots show what would appear on the screen when a child tries to send or view a photo containing nudity:
It is said that all the scanning happens only on the device and is not shared with Apple.
Moreover, as stated on The Verge, ‘Apple is also expanding the rollout of a new feature for Spotlight, Siri, and Safari searches that will point users toward safety resources if they search for topics relating to child sexual abuse’.
What do you think about this new feature? Will technology be able to help with such a sensitive topic?
Resources:
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212850
- https://www.theverge.com/2022/4/21/23035183/ios-messages-communication-safety-nudity-sexually-explicit-message-blurring?fbclid=IwAR1A0f3oFCHmqp99ocrgh0QR_tEZPVg_tUzCzkf1EzKSNLM0ptorJmPHduU
- https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/apr/20/apple-says-new-child-safety-feature-to-be-rolled-out-for-uk-iphones
I think it’s a great solution. There are a lot of sick people out there and children are not always able to identify whether they are talking to an adequate person or not. Honestly, I believe that this feature is more useful in Social media platforms rather then apple messenger but for sure it’s a MUST these days..