Apple plans new feature to protect journalists and human rights workers from spyware

Apple on Wednesday said it will release a new feature this fall for iPhone, Mac and iPad operating software that is designed to protect high-risk users such as journalists and human rights workers from sophisticated spyware that has been linked to human rights abuses.

It’s one of the biggest steps yet by a major tech firm to combat the lucrative spyware industry, whose tools can break into devices without the victim clicking on anything, CNN reports. 

It also comes as the Biden administration continues to try to curb the use of spyware.

The new feature, called Lockdown Mode, will let anyone, with a flick of a button, effectively cordon off parts of their iPhone and other devices from avenues of attack, including email attachments and unsolicited FaceTime calls.

But there are some tradeoffs for users while in Lockdown Mode. Device owners won’t be able to use certain Apple features such as physically connecting to other computers when the phone is on the lockscreen, or enrolling in mobile device management programs that some employers use to administer work phones.

There are more than a billion iPhones around the world; the new feature is meant for the very small fraction of Apple users who have been targeted by spyware. Apple declined to specify the number of customers who had been targeted by spyware, citing ongoing litigation. But the company said it has now notified customers in about 150 countries that they may have been targeted by spyware.