If you believe that iPhone’s Lockdown Mode is protecting your privacy and helping you stay secure on the internet, you may want to think again!
The tech giant Apple has rolled out a new and “extreme” security measure called the Lockdown Mode to protect the privacy of certain users. It is specifically designed for users who may find them to be a target of state-funded spyware like the infamous Pegasus, hackers, and other sophisticated cybercriminals. This includes journalists, elite businessmen, politicians, and more such people.
What does Apple say about the Lockdown Mode?
According to Apple, “Lockdown Mode is extreme, optional protection that should only be used if you believe you may be personally targeted by a highly sophisticated cyberattack. When iPhone is in Lockdown Mode, it will not function as it typically does. Apps, websites, and features will be strictly limited for security, and some experiences will be completely unavailable.”
Now, a privacy activist claims that while the Lockdown Mode might be able to turn off certain features, it also makes the user more identifiable on the internet. It makes it easy for a website to detect when someone is using the Lockdown Mode and from where they have been using it. This eventually puts the users’ privacy and security at threat which is the same thing the Loackdom Mode was designed to prevent.
John Ozbay, the CEO of Cryptee- a privacy-focused company says, “Let’s say you’re in China, and you’re using Lockdown Mode. Now, any website that you visit could effectively detect you are using Lockdown Mode, they have your IP address as well. So they will actually be able to identify that the user with this IP address is using Lockdown Mode.”
There is very little that Apple can do about it as it is not a bug that can be resolved through updates. According to the tech giant, “Fingerprinting is sadly a trade-off we always have to deal with.“
