Question of the Day
One question per day to look beyond the headlines.
When you share iCloud files via “Anyone with the link,” what exact security boundary does Apple remove to scan them?
Take-away “Anyone with the link” shifts iCloud from E2E-protected storage to server-readable sharing, so scanning works by downgrading encryption at the share boundary.
When files are shared via “Anyone with the link” in iCloud, Apple removes end-to-end encryption from these public links in order to scan them for harmful content [1], [2]. This policy applies starting with iOS/macOS/visionOS 27.3. The lack of encryption with these links means that the content, once shared publicly, is accessible to Apple and potentially others, as these items no longer enjoy end-to-end encryption protection even when Advanced Data Protection is enabled [3].
- Apple turns iCloud into spy cloud, will start looking at public share links theregister.com (opens in new tab)
- Apple will check your public iCloud links for harmful content, and it doesn’t rule out banning accounts - Digital Trends digitaltrends.com (opens in new tab)
- Learn more about sharing content that can be accessed by Anyone with the Link - Apple Support support.apple.com (opens in new tab)