TO THE LAB WE GO: Uncovering the Secrets of Apple's Lockdown Mode

Technology News

•

16 hours ago

Summary

The journalist tests Apple's Lockdown Mode by trying to reach someone with the feature enabled, discovering what types of content get blocked. The experiment reveals that certain types of content are blocked while others are not, and why this matters for security.

Key Points

Lockdown Mode blocks certain types of content, such as stickers, but allows other forms of communication like text messages and emojis to pass through.
The feature is designed to protect users from unwanted interactions, but it may also have unintended consequences, like missing important information or feeling isolated.
Apple's Lockdown Mode notifications can be confusing and unclear, making it difficult for users to know what is happening when the feature is enabled.

Why It Matters

Understanding how Apple's Lockdown Mode works is crucial for maintaining online security and privacy. By testing its limits, we can better appreciate the importance of this feature in protecting our digital lives.

Author

Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai

More Headlines

ui/ux review check

TikTok's Future in US Hangs in Balance as Oracle Emerges as Leading Contender to Manage App

TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, has until April to finalize a sale to a US-based buyer. A new report suggests that Oracle is the leading candidate to serve as the cloud technology partner for managing TikTok in the US. This deal would allow ByteDance to have a hands-on role in TikTok's operations.

ui/ux review check

Bluesky CEO Pokes Fun at Zuckerberg with Latin Phrase T-Shirt

During the SXSW conference, Bluesky's CEO Jay Graber took to the stage and wore a t-shirt with a Latin phrase that poked fun at Mark Zuckerberg. The shirt read 'Mundus sine Caesaribus' which translates to 'a world without Caesars'. This is a nod to Zuckerberg's own shirt which reads 'Aut Zuck aut nihil' which means 'Zuck or nothing'.

ui/ux review check

Y Combinator Urges Trump Administration to Support EU's Digital Markets Act

y combinator, a prominent startup accelerator, has sent a letter to the trump administration urging support for europe's digital markets act. the act aims to promote interoperability and innovation in the tech industry by limiting the market power of big tech companies. y c argues that the act is in line with values that promote american innovation.

ui/ux review check

Flock Safety Raises $275 Million at $7.5 Billion Valuation

Flock Safety, a startup that makes computer vision-enabled video surveillance technology, has raised $275 million at a valuation of $7.5 billion. The funding round was led by Bedrock Capital, with participation from other investors. Flock's growth has been impressive, with the company crossing over $300 million in annual recurring revenue last year.

ui/ux review check

Bryan Johnson's 'Foodome' Sequencing Plan

Bryan Johnson, founder of the Don't Die movement, aims to sequence the U.S. 'foodome' by testing 20% of foods that constitute 80% of the American diet. He believes this will help people make informed decisions about what they eat and promote healthy eating habits.

ui/ux review check

Google Gemini with Personalization: A New Experimental Capability

Google has announced a new experimental capability for its Gemini chatbot apps that allows for personalized responses based on users' search history and preferences. This new feature, called Personalization, uses machine learning algorithms to tailor the chatbot's responses to each user's unique needs and interests.

ui/ux review check

OpenAI Proposes AI Action Plan

openai, a leading artificial intelligence research organization, has proposed an action plan for the us government to consider banning prc-supported ai models due to security concerns. deepseek, a chinese ai lab, is accused of being state-subsidized and controlled, and openai claims that its models pose privacy and security risks.

ui/ux review check

Meghan Markle Launches New Podcast

Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, is launching a new podcast called 'Confessions of a Female Founder' on Lemonada Media. The show will feature talks with other female founders and her own entrepreneurial journey.

Facebook Rolls Out Monetization Option for Creators on Public Stories

Facebook is rolling out the ability for creators to earn money for views on public stories. With this new monetization option, creators can earn money from content they are already producing and sharing if they post it to their Facebook story.

ui/ux review check

Citibank Freezes Accounts of Non-Profits

Citibank has been ordered to freeze the accounts of several nonprofits and state government agencies after receiving requests from the FBI, EPA, and other authorities. The move is reportedly in response to concerns about fraud and abuse of funds allocated for green energy projects.

ui/ux review check

Startups Accelerator Yama Pants?

Pickle, a startup accelerator, has developed an AI-powered clone feature that lets you 'clone' an ideal version of yourself and put that much better-composed individual onto the screen, lip-syncing to your voice in real-time. This technology aims to revolutionize remote work by providing a more immersive experience.

ui/ux review check

Light Phone III Launches on March 27

Light, the maker of a minimalist phone designed to help consumers disconnect from smartphone distractions and social media, will launch its newest model, the Light Phone III, on March 27. This version of the device offers a simple black-and-white display and necessary features like support for calls, texts, navigation, alarms, hotspots, a calendar, and more.

ui/ux review check

Rumman Chowdhury Criticizes Elon Musk and DOGE

Rumman Chowdhury, a data scientist and former Twitter director, criticized Elon Musk and DOGE for their handling of federal agencies. She claimed that Musk's leadership style breeds chaos and compromises cybersecurity.

Amazon Won't Take Action Against Three Phone Blending in with Android's Built-in Apps

A recent TechCrunch investigation discovered that three stalkerware apps, Cocospy, Spyic, and another app, were uploading victims' data to their respective storage buckets hosted on Amazon Web Services. This raises concerns about the potential risks of using AWS for storing sensitive information.