Apple will monitor your public iCloud links now, starting with iOS 27.3

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• Starting with iOS 27.3, Apple will monitor public links shared via iCloud.
• Only iCloud links marked “Anyone with the Link” are affected.
• Apple may ban users’ accounts who violate its “harmful content” policy.

Be careful what you share in your iCloud. Apple announced it will start monitoring public iCloud links for harmful content — and potentially disable accounts that violate company policy.

Also: How to free up your iPhone storage almost immediately

What is Apple looking for?

If you try to upload harmful content, Apple says it reserves the right to “move, refuse, modify, remove, or delete” your content at any time. Furthermore, Apple outlines possible actions it may take, including:

• Blocking or disabling your account
• Blocking the ability to create a new account with the associated email address or phone number.
• Involving law enforcement

Apple’s announcement did not explain what “harmful content” would mean in practice. While there are obvious violations like drug sales and child sex abuse material, the new policy’s vagueness is concerning.

Limited access links are still safe

Once an iCloud link is shared under the “Anyone with a link” designation, end-to-end encryption is removed, even if either party has enabled Advanced Data Protection, which allows Apple to view the link’s content.

If you select “People you choose,” which limits access to users who have been invited or approved, the encryption remains in place, and Apple won’t be able to see what you’re sharing.

The new policy does not lay out an appeals process if you think your account or content has been falsely flagged as harmful. However, Apple does have a web page that provides information on how to appeal for other reasons. So there is a framework in place to push back if you think you’ve been caught in the dragnet by accident.

Taylor Clemons

Staff Writer

Taylor Clemons is a tech writer and reviewer based near Cleveland, OH. After graduating from Tiffin University in 2011, they spent several years in lawn and garden manufacturing before working on their own (now defunct) game review site, Steam Shovelers. From there, Taylor expanded into writing about consumer technology like televisions, home audio equipment, and smart home devices at Lifewire. Taylor's work can also be found at The Balance, TechRadar, Tom's Hardware, SPY.com, GameSkinny, IndieHangover, The Inventory, and Forbes. See full bio