Apple to add ‘lockdown’ safeguard on iPhones, iPads, Macs

Associated Press
Associated Press

CUPERTINO, Calif. (AP) — Apple plans to roll out a “lockdown” option for iPhones, iPads and Mac computers intended to protect against spyware unleashed by state-sponsored hackers — although enabling it will also make these devices less useful. The safeguard announced Wednesday is a tacit acknowledgement that not even Apple — the world’s most valuable company — has been able to adequately shield the iPhone and its other products against attacks from malicious actors backed by governments fishing for information about perceived adversaries. The new feature, called “lockdown mode,” will initially be offered in a test format before it’s released to all iPhone, IPad and Mac users, as part of a major software updates this fall.