Apple Turns iCloud Into Public Link Scanner

Apple is scanning user files shared through public iCloud links to hunt for harmful content. The company updated its privacy disclosures to confirm the new scanning process. Here is the catch. The move reverses past security promises. Apple once planned end-to-end encryption for all cloud backups. Privacy experts slammed the about-face. They warned that scanning links opens the door to broader surveillance. Apple insists the checks only apply to files users choose to make public. That distinction offers little comfort to critics.