Apple's New iPhone Lockdown Mode Will Give Targets Protection From Nation-State Spying

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Photo by Jeremy Bezanger on Unsplash

Following waves of attacks by nation-states using spyware made by Israel’s NSO Group and other companies, Apple said it would introduce a new feature this fall called Lockdown Mode to give potential targets of government hacking an easy way to make their iPhones safer.

Apple will release Lockdown Mode in test versions of its operating systems soon, with full distribution in the fall as part of iOS 16 for iPhones and the operating systems for iPads and Mac computers. Lockdown Mode will block most types of attachments on messages and prevent the phone from previewing Web links, which are frequently used to transmit spyware. In addition, locking a phone will disable wired connections to computers and accessories used to take control of devices seized by police or stolen by spies.

However, Lockdown Mode will compromise ease …