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As a paranoid diary keeper , I am an enthusiastic user of Apple ’s opt - in “ extreme protection ” feature , Lockdown Mode .
Applelaunched Lockdown Modein 2022 , and since then the security feature is moot a must - use for dissidents in corrupt country , human - rights defenders in oppressive regimes , and diary keeper speaking Sojourner Truth to power .
Lockdown Mode is design to switch off some features in iPhones , iPads , and Macs , with the goal of reducing the likelihood that hacker armed with sophisticatedspywareorzero - sidereal day — unknown flaw in systems that let attackers to stealthily exploit them — can successfully break Apple ’s run organization protections and spy on its user .
In practice , Lockdown Mode move out some normal Apple gimmick features , such as case loaded from the net that can track you , the ability to receive certain types of files , your location data from photos that you share , sustenance for 2 G cellular connectivity , and letting people who have n’t contacted you before hit you over FaceTime and iMessage ; although it ’s unclear if the latter is the type ( more on that by and by ) .
In exchange for these nuisance , Lockdown Mode makes it harder for you to get hack , even by some of the most in advance hackers out there .
Lockdown Mode already has a raceway record book of jam those advanced attack . Apple saysit is not aware of any successful hackagainst its substance abuser who have enabled Lockdown Mode , and digital rights group Citizen Lab hasdocumented an attempted spyware attackblocked by Lockdown Mode . I , too , have personally try some multitude in the violative security system industry complain about Lockdown Mode make their exploits more difficult .
But three years after its debut , on the button how Lockdown Mode forge is still shrouded in obscureness and lacks explanations into the reasoning behind what action Lockdown Mode make . And , some of Lockdown Mode ’s notifications are downright confusing , unexplained , or ostensibly random , which might monish some users from using it altogether .
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Blocked, but why?
Let me preface this by saying that people who are at hazard from government hackers must use Lockdown Mode , even consider the restriction that come with it .
Those limitation are not the problem . Lockdown Mode ’s presentment have become more and more puzzling .
Someone also told me that as they were scrolling through their contacts , one of their champion saw a “ Lockdown Mode blocked … ” notification with his name on , propose Lockdown Mode can be spark off merely by see someone ’s contact .
But … why ?
For months I have been arrest the same apprisal telling me that Lockdown Mode blocked someone “ from contacting ” me every fourth dimension I utilise iMessage , and it always mentions someone I know and who is already in my contacts .
These notifications often pop up when I am already messaging that person on iMessage , which makes it unclear if I am pass away to stop father their substance , or worse , that some of their message have already disappeared thanks to Lockdown Mode .
Hell , perchance this mean I am getting hacked , or at least targeted ? Should I get my phone hold back every time I get one of these notification ?
It turns out I can still keep chatting with the very people that Lockdown Mode take to have blocked . These people are quite literally contacting me , and I am visit with them . What is Lockdown Mode actually doing here ?
tip on Lockdown Mode telling does nothing . You are n’t airt to an Apple site that excuse what Lockdown Mode is or does , nor does it explain what these notice specifically think .
“ I do n’t consider these messages are helpful . They do not admit any context and are not actionable , nor is there a way to figure out what ’s going on , ” Runa Sandvik , a hacker who has a startupthat help diary keeper and other gamey - risk hoi polloi protect themselves , told TechCrunch . “ I ’d love to see Apple either apportion more data so that we know what to ‘ do ’ with them , or not exhibit them at all . ”
Sandvik and I are not the only ones left scratching our Chin every fourth dimension we see Lockdown Mode notifications . When I wrote about my concerns about Lockdown Modeonsocialmedia , severalpeoplerespondedpublicly — and in private — saying they have had similar experiences and are also confused .
My editor program Zack Whittaker , for example , has for months been periodically produce Lockdown Mode notice say “ an unknown contact attempted to partake control of Apple Music , ” as well as a notification that Lockdown Mode “ obturate Focus Sharing ” and “ wo n’t be apportion with other citizenry when in Lockdown ” ( I also get this notification from time to clip ) .
To the lab we go
I resolve to run an experiment with the assistance of Harlo Holmes , chief information certificate officer and the music director of digital security measure at Freedom of the Press Foundation , a non - profit that helps support the destitute press . I marvel if it made any dispute — in terms of actuate the confusing apprisal — whether someone not in my contacts tried to progress to out to me with Lockdown Mode enable on my phone , and what type of capacity it would block .
We both delete each other from our contact lists ( we ’re still protagonist , though ) , and started chew the fat for the first clock time ever on iMessage . When Holmes texted me — and neither of us were in each others ’ contact lists — I received the “ Lockdown Mode block … ” notice , this time displaying her speech sound telephone number . I still receive her message .
We exchanged text , emojis , a cat picture , and iMessage “ sticker . ” All of these went through , except for the stumper , which change by reversal to either a Unicode character of a question mark , or a characterless file attachment , which ca n’t be opened , even if you tap on it :
When this materialise , both Holmes and I could still see the thorn we sent from our own phones , signify the blocking was only seeable to the recipient . That is also the case for the “ Lockdown Mode blocked … ” apprisal . I received the presentment , but Holmes did n’t know I got it .
This makes sense , as Apple would n’t require to tip off governance hacker that their endeavour to hack someone not only did n’t work , but also alerted the targeted individual that something went improper .
That ’s good to recognize , and again , I am happy Lockdown Mode blocks something , and makes me safer , but I still do n’t hump what these notifications are guess to secern me .
I reached out to Apple expect them for some explanation , but an Apple spokesperson did not provide on the record book remarks by press metre . At least the interpreter recognize receiving my message , so I know Lockdown Mode did n’t block it .
