In a move raising privacy concerns, Apple has automatically opted users into its Enhanced Visual Search feature through recent iOS 18.1 and macOS 15.1 updates. The system analyzes photos stored on users' devices to identify landmarks, sending encrypted data to Apple's servers without explicit user consent.
While Apple maintains the system is secure through end-to-end encryption and partnership with Cloudflare, the quiet rollout has sparked criticism from privacy advocates and developers. The feature processes images using machine learning to detect "regions of interest" before encrypting and transmitting the data for landmark matching.
"This is not how you launch a privacy-preserving product if your intentions are good," noted Matthew Green, associate professor at Johns Hopkins Information Security Institute. "This is how you slip something under the radar while everyone is distracted."
Software developer Michael Tsai highlighted that even after opting out, previously analyzed photo data remains on Apple's servers. The inability to prevent initial data collection before disabling the feature has particularly troubled privacy-conscious users.
The move appears to contradict Apple's privacy-focused marketing stance, including their prominent "What happens on your iPhone stays on your iPhone" campaign. Critics argue that while the technology may be secure, the company's decision to enable the feature by default without user notification undermines user autonomy.
Users wishing to disable Enhanced Visual Search can do so through Settings > Apps > Photos on iOS/iPadOS devices or Settings > General on Mac computers.
The controversy adds to recent challenges facing Apple's AI initiatives, including reports of its Intelligence feature generating incorrect news summaries in notifications.