iOS 18 Exposes Your Private Photos: Uncover the Secret to Protecting Your Privacy on Apple iPhones!

The world is advancing, and so is the domain of cyber threats. In this continuously changing landscape, the issue of privacy is frequently discussed. Some individuals regard it with utmost seriousness, while others take a more relaxed stance towards it. The brand Apple has consistently been associated with the subject of privacy. It has been long regarded as the manufacturer of the most secure smartphones available.

Apple has persistently highlighted its dedication to user privacy across its range of products and services, even initiating the “Privacy. That’s Apple” initiative in 2019. Nevertheless, a recent disclosure by developer Jeff Johnson has raised questions about this narrative. In a blog entry dated December 28, Johnson revealed that a feature known as “Enhanced Visual Search,” which is automatically activated on iPhones operating on iOS 18 and Macs with macOS Sequoia, shares photographic data with Apple without explicit permission from users.

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This feature is intended to assist users in recognizing landmarks within photographs and providing relevant information. It operates in two phases: first, an on-device machine learning model analyzes the image to find regions of interest (ROI), such as landmarks. Subsequently, it generates a vector embedding, which is transmitted to Apple for comparison against its database to identify the landmark. Although Apple does not have access to complete photo files, this function effectively scans all images in the gallery, invoking concerns regarding the volume of data shared when this option is enabled.

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Here’s How To Disable Enhanced Visual Search

On iPhone:

• Navigate to Settings
• Select Apps
• Choose Photos
• Scroll down to the bottom and turn off Enhanced Visual Search

On Mac:

• Launch the Photos app
• Access Settings and disable Enhanced Visual Search