Today is Safer Internet Day, and Apple has brought attention to its software features and tools that are intended to keep kids safe online, like Screen Time and Communication Safety. Only Europe received the press release.
The Messages app on the iPhone, Mac, iPad, and Apple Watch has an opt-in feature called Communication Safety that is meant to alert kids when they receive or share nudist photos. Apple announced today that it is bringing the functionality to more areas of the world in collaboration with regional authorities. After being introduced earlier in Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand, Communication Safety has become accessible in France, Germany, Italy, and Spain.
Nude photographs are blurred when the function is activated. According to Apple, the youngster will be forewarned, provided access to useful resources, and given a choice to message a trusted adult for assistance if they so desire.
Apple guarantees that communication safety is private and secure on its child safety page:
Messages preserve end-to-end encryption while analyzing image attachments to identify whether a picture contains nudity. No hint of nudity detection ever exits the device, thanks to the feature’s design. No notifications are issued to the parent or anyone else, and Apple is not given access to the messages.
Apple revealed in December that it had given up on its divisive intentions to find known Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) stored in iCloud Photos. Apple claims that Communication Safety has no connection to those earlier initiatives and exists alone on the device.
