Apple Will Scan Public iCloud Links for Harmful Content Starting in iOS 27.3

Apple says that beginning with version 27.3 of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and visionOS, content shared from iCloud through an “Anyone with the Link” URL will be accessible to Apple for checks for harmful content. This applies to items such as iCloud Photos images and iCloud Drive files when the owner chooses to share a link rather than send a copy. Apple distinguishes public-link sharing from sharing with “People you choose,” which limits access to invited or approved people. Anyone with the link can access the publicly shared item, and Apple is included in that group for purposes of its review.

Making an iCloud item available through an “Anyone with the Link” link also means it is no longer end-to-end encrypted, even when the owner or participants use Advanced Data Protection. Apple reserves the right to move, refuse, modify, remove, or delete content it considers harmful. It may also restrict or disable the associated Apple Account, prevent a new account from being created with the same email address or phone number, and involve law enforcement if necessary. The policy concerns this specific public-link sharing option, not every way of sharing or sending iCloud content; feature availability may vary by country or region.