Apple rolls out new iPhone features for child safety: All the details – Times of India

Apple has announced new child safety features across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. The new features — developed in association with child safety experts — will focus on three areas. Parents will have more control and will be able to play a more informed role in helping their children navigate communication online. Apple wants to limit the spread of CSAM or Child Sexual Abuse Material on its devices. Also, Apple is bringing new features to Search and Siri keeping in mind child safety. Here is a look at the new features in detail:
New safety features in iMessage
Apple’s messaging app — iMessage — will get new tools that will warn children and their parents when receiving or sending sexually explicit photos. For instance, when such content is received then the photo will be automatically blurred and a warning pop up will appear. A child will be given “helpful resources, and reassured it is okay if they do not want to view this photo,” Apple explained. At the same time, the child’s parents will get a message if they do end up viewing the images. Similar protections are available if a child attempts to send sexually explicit photos. The child will be warned before the photo is sent, and the parents can receive a message if the child chooses to send it. Apple says that its using on-device machine learning to analyse images and see they are sexually explicit or not. “The feature is designed so that Apple does not get access to the messages,” the company said.

Detecting CSAM in iCloud on iPhone, iPad and Mac
CSAM is mainly content that depicts sexually explicit activities involving a child. Apple says that it has kept user privacy in mind while designing a feature that will allow it to detect CSAM images that may be stored in iCloud Photos. Before an image is stored in iCloud Photos, an on-device matching process is performed for that image against the known CSAM hashes. “This matching process is powered by a cryptographic technology called private set intersection, which determines if there is a match without revealing the result,”Apple explained.
Safety features for children in Siri and Search
Siri and Search on Apple devices are also getting new tools to help children and parents stay safe online and get help with unsafe situations. For instance, users who ask Siri how they can report CSAM or child exploitation will be pointed to resources for where and how to file a report. Further, Siri and Search are also being updated to intervene when users perform searches for queries related to CSAM. “These interventions will explain to users that interest in this topic is harmful and problematic, and provide resources from partners to get help with this issue,” Apple added.
These new child safety features are coming later this year with iOS 15, iPadOS 15 and macOS Monterey. Apple’s new software updates are expected to land sometime in September this year.