| Cult of Mac

Leaked ‘final’ EU antitrust bill looks bad for Apple

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The European Union takes another step toward rough regulations on tech giants like Apple.
The European Union takes another step toward tough regulations on tech giants like Apple.
Photo: Freestocks.org

The European Union may force Apple to make big changes to its App Store as well as services like FaceTime and Messages, if a leaked version of an EU antitrust proposal becomes law.

The draft is said to be the “final version” of the Digital Markets Act, provisionally approved by EU regulators in March. It seeks to restrict how tech giants operate in order to foster greater competition.

Messages bug sends read receipts even when they’re turned off

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Messages replay
"Why are you ignoring me?"
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Some iPhone and iPad users are being plagued by a Messages bug that causes read receipts to be sent even when they are disabled. The problem seems to affect devices running iOS 15 or later.

There is no permanent fix for the issue yet, but there is one thing you can do that may eliminate the problem for a short time.

iPhone will soon alert parents if kids send or receive nude pics

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iPhone Messages app will warn parents if kids send, receive nude photos
Children and parents will be alerted by the Messages app of sexually explicit photos.
Photo: Apple

Starting with iOS 15.2, iPhones will be able to detect if an iPhone or iPad user gets or sends a text with sexually explicit photos. The goal is to protect children from sexual predators.

The feature is optional and uses on-device machine learning so that Apple does not have access to the images.

90+ organizations urge Tim Cook to drop Apple’s photo scanning plan

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Groups oppose Apple photo scanning
The largest campaign so far against Apple's new child safety features.
Photo: Benjamin Balázs

An international coalition of more than 90 policy and rights groups is urging Apple to drop plans to scan user photos for child abuse material (CSAM).

In an open letter addressed to Apple CEO Tim Cook, published on Thursday, the coalition said it is concerned the feature “will be used to censor protected speech, threaten the privacy and security of people around the world, and have disastrous consequences for children.”

Apple looks to ease CSAM photo scanning concerns with new FAQ

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Apple CSAM photo scanning
Clearing up the confusion.
Photo: Apple

Apple defends its plan to scan user photos for child sexual abuse imagery in a newly published FAQ that aims to quell growing concerns from privacy advocates.

The document provides “more clarity and transparency,” Apple said, after noting that “many stakeholders including privacy organizations and child safety organizations have expressed their support” for the move.

The FAQ explains the differences between child sexual abuse imagery scanning in iCloud and the new child-protection features coming to Apple’s Messages app. It also reassures users that Apple will not entertain government requests to expand the features.

iPhone Messages app will warn kids if they’re receiving a nude photo

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iPhone Messages app will warn parents if kids send, receive nude photos
Children and parents will be alerted by the Messages app of sexually explicit photos.
Photo: Apple

Apple will soon offer a new tool to protect children from sexual predators. The Messages application will be able to detect if an iPhone or iPad user gets or sends sexually explicit photos.

The process will use on-device machine learning so that Apple does not have access to the images.

iOS 15 brings welcome enhancements to FaceTime, notifications, more

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iOS 15 brings welcome enhancements to FaceTime, Notifications, more
Apple took the wraps off iOS 15 on the opening day of its WWDC conference.
Screenshot: Apple

iOS 15 just made the jump from rumor to reality. Apple is bringing major new features to FaceTime, Messages, notifications, and more. Many of the applications that come bundled with iPhone are getting updates, like Apple Maps and Weather.

However, some features people had been hoping for didn’t make the cut, like interactive widgets.

Apple could save Messages on Mac with new iPad app port

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Messages-iPad
Messages is so much better on iPad.
Photo: Apple

Apple looks to be gearing up to port iPad’s built-in Messages app over to Mac. The move could immediately fix Messages’ biggest problems on Mac, including its glaring lack of features.

The desktop version of the app still does not support iMessage apps, Apple Pay, message effects and other key features. Evidence of the move has been uncovered in leaked iOS 14 code, indicating it could be executed this fall when Apple drops its next major macOS update.

Apple wants to let you edit sent text messages

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Autocorrect errors vs. editing sent texts
Autocorrect fails would be a thing of the past if we could correct text messages.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Apple designed a workable system to let people edit text messages after they send them. But now we have to hope it’ll be implemented.

This is potentially great news for everyone who ever wished they could fix an embarrassing text.