Nobody likes being monitored. But even if you suspected your company is following your activities on the iPhone, would you know where to check?
In the next iteration of its smartphone operating system, iOS 9.3, Apple is looking to make this an easier task. According to Reddit user MaGNeTiX, the latest beta of iOS 9.3 has a message telling users their iPhone is being supervised.
The message is as prominent as can be, both on the device's lock screen and in the About section.
"This iPhone is managed by your organisation," the message on the lock screen says. And in the About screen, you get a little more detail, with a message saying your iPhone's supervisor can monitor your Internet traffic and locate your device.
While it's not clear whether the message shows up for all types of monitoring, it's there for supervised devices set up through Apple's Device Enrollment Program, which is a way for companies to easily deploy a large number of corporate-owned Mac or iOS devices to employees. The program offers a feature called Mobile Device Management (MDM), which lets the employer upgrade, manage and supervise various aspects of the device's software.
The message shows up for devices set up through Apple's Device Enrollment Program
To be clear: It doesn't look like this feature will let you turn off company supervision or increase your privacy in any way. It's merely there as a warning, providing more transparency to users, some of which might not even be aware their employer is monitoring their iPhone.
The news comes amidst a legal battle between Apple and the FBI, which seeks Apple's help in decrypting the iPhone of one of the terrorists responsible for last year's attack in San Bernardino, Calif. More precisely, the FBI wants Apple to create a new version of iOS that would be used specifically on the shooter's iPhone, disabling some of its security features. So far, Apple stood firm in its decision not to yield to the government's demands, claiming it would affect "everyone who owns an iPhone."
BONUS: Apple vs. the FBI explained
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Topics Cybersecurity iPhone Privacy
