Following the Apple-FBI iPhone backdoor case, Apple is increasing its security and privacy efforts by releasing the iOS 9.3 with a messaging system that tells users if their iPhone is being monitored by an institution or enterprise.
The message appears both on the device’s lock screen and in the About page of Settings. It doesn’t get much clearer than a message reading: ‘This iPhone is managed by your organization’ at the bottom of the screen. In the About section, users will receive an additional message stating that the iPhone’s supervisor can monitor Internet traffic and locate the device.
Apple allows companies to track and manage iPhones through a Mobile Device Management (MDM) deployment program, but the new iOS 9.3 will eliminate the uncertainty as to whether or not the company is monitoring the device. While it’s not made clear yet if the message will appear for all types of tracking, it is there for supervised devices set up through Apple’s Device Enrollment Program, a standard way for companies to easily deploy numerous corporate-owned Mac or iOS devices to employees.
As far as any modifications go, the feature does not let you turn off company supervision or increase privacy in any way. Its primary goal is to serve as a warning and transparency to users who may not have been aware that their employer is monitoring their iPhone.
The change to the updated iOS will also help maintain a level of privacy for iPhone users who switch between work and personal phones. It will be easier for users to juggle between the two phones and understand which device is supervised and which is not.
This is another push from Apple to make users aware of privacy and personal security. The iOS 9.3 is set to be released to the public later this month, following Apple’s 5E/iPad Pro event on March 21st.
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