The latest versions of Apple’s operating systems have a hidden feature that few people know about. Probably because many users would not like it. In order to train artificial intelligence, mobile phones, tablets and computers send your photos to Apple servers, where they are analyzed. But this function can be turned off.
Once upon a time, Apple flirted with the idea of identifying photos and other multimedia content that might be of interest to the police directly on cellphones and computers. Specifically, he meant child pornography, which is a big problem in the online world. But the good intention was not met with understanding. Apple wanted to promote the fight against child pornography in a very aggressive way, which fundamentally violates the privacy of users. Just imagine that you have photos of your children stored in your mobile phone, who bathe naked, and Apple could label you as a delinquent and report you to the police because of them. The original idea was abandoned and the company retreated.
However, the advent of artificial intelligence brought a new problem. In order for AI models to work well, they must be well trained. And how better to train them if not on real content from real users? Some firms have tried to get users to volunteer to help them in their efforts to improve AI models. Others have changed the terms of use themselves and practically forced users to give them their data in exchange for the opportunity to use their artificial intelligence. Apple has opted for a hybrid route.
Analyzes photos and sends data to remote servers
In the latest version of the operating system iOS and macOS, it automatically activated the “Enhanced Visual Search” function (extended graphic search). The description of the otherwise nondescript feature, hidden deep in the settings, says that it’s supposed to “enable the device to privately recognize locations in photos with a global index managed by Apple so that almost any point of interest or landmark can be searched for.” Under this flowery and endearing description, Apple is just saying that the data from all your photos will be sent by your iPhone or computer to its servers, where they will be analyzed to improve artificial intelligence.
Apple, Enhanced Visual search, Funkcia Enhanced Visual Search
Apple did not inform about the news and introduced it into the system very quietly. In doing so, it directly and unknowingly violates the privacy of users. For a better understanding, the devices do not send entire photos to the servers, but only selected data from them. Specifically, a mobile phone can, for example, automatically detect a specific object in a photo (for example, a church in the capital). It is then encrypted and the data sent to Apple’s servers, where they are analyzed and paired with data from other similar photos.
Fortunately, the feature can also be turned off. If you own a macOS computer, you need to open the Photos app and then turn off this feature in Settings under General. On mobiles and tablets, you need to go to Settings, the Applications section, find Photos and turn off Enhanced Visual Search.
Source: vat.pravda.sk
