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Anyone sharing a photo or file via a public iCloud link will, starting with iOS 27.3, also be making the content available for review by Apple. The company reserves the right to block access to harmful content and even involve the authorities. While the change affects a single sharing option, its consequences extend to the Apple account itself.
Apple released a new support document on November 3rd, currently only available in English. It describes a change that will take effect with version 27.3 of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and visionOS. The first beta of iOS 27.3 is already available to developers, and Apple says the final version will be released in December.
All articles about this version are compiled on the iOS 27.3 page; the new features of this generation are listed under iOS 27. The overview of iCloud in iOS 27 shows what has changed with the service itself.
Key Facts at a Glance
- Starting with version 27.3, Apple checks content shared using the „Everyone with the link“ option for harmful content.
- The affected versions are iOS, iPadOS, macOS and visionOS; Apple cites iCloud Photos and iCloud Drive as examples.
- Harmful content can result in removal, suspension of the Apple account, and involvement of law enforcement.
- The document does not specify what is considered harmful or how the testing process works.
- Such links were not end-to-end encrypted even before.
What's changing with version 27.3
Anyone sharing content stored in iCloud has two options: a link or a copy. With a link, the sharing is either with selected people or with „Everyone with the link.“ According to Apple, the second option makes the content accessible to everyone who has the link, including Apple itself. The document states:
Starting with version 27.3 of iOS, iPadOS, macOS and visionOS, content shared using the ‚Everyone with the link‘ option will be checked by Apple for harmful content.
Apple cites a photo from iCloud Photos and a file from iCloud Drive as examples. An audit only mentions this one option, not sharing with selected people or sending a copy.
On my iPhone, the iOS 27.3 beta already displays the notification directly in the sharing options, currently only in English. There, Apple explicitly mentions shared albums: Sharing them with this option makes them accessible to Apple to check for harmful content.
What can happen with harmful content
Apple reserves the right to move, reject, modify, remove, or delete such content at any time. Furthermore, the company may take action against the Apple Account: suspend or deactivate it and prevent a new account from being created using the same email address or phone number. If necessary, Apple may also involve law enforcement.
The document does not define what constitutes harmful content. It also does not specify whether software or humans are responsible for reviewing it. Furthermore, it does not include an exception for Germany, Austria, or Switzerland, only a general note that not all features are available in all countries.
Encryption and Terms of Use
The fact that such links are not end-to-end encrypted is not a consequence of the new check. According to Apple's enhanced privacy guidelines, this option does not support the protection; the support documents still list it as „Anyone with the link.“ This applies even if it is enabled for iCloud. According to Apple's iCloud security overview, the keys for shared content then end up in the company's data centers.
Apple had already secured this right legally. In its iCloud Terms of Service, the company reserves the right to review content at any time to ensure it is lawful and appropriate, and to filter, move, reject, or modify it without notice if it violates the law or the agreement, or is offensive. The same terms also mention checks on content sharing between users, specifically targeting depictions of child abuse. What's new is that Apple now explicitly announces the review process for this sharing option.
Why the step is smaller than it sounds
The document does not describe an audit of the private photo library, but rather of content that the owner has made publicly available via a link. This differs from Apple's 2021 plan to directly compare photos on the device against databases of abusive content. This system was abandoned following criticism. In February, the US state of West Virginia sued the company for failing to effectively detect such content in iCloud, citing the abandoned plan as a point of contention.
I find the limit understandable, even if the lack of a clear benchmark is bothersome. A link that anyone can open is not private storage, and a provider would hardly want its servers used to distribute harmful content. More problematic is that Apple lists consequences up to and including account loss without specifying what triggers them.
If you want to share sensitive files, it's best to choose the sharing option with selected people. If you have enhanced privacy enabled, shared iCloud Drive folders, for example, remain end-to-end encrypted according to Apple, provided all participants are also using the same folder.
Do you use public iCloud links for private photos and files, or do you prefer to send a copy directly? Let us know in the comments if the review changes anything about your sharing habits.
