iMessage Contact Key Verification Arrives in First iOS 16.6 Beta
In the first iOS 16.6 beta, Apple introduced a significant security feature, iMessage Contact Key Verification. This new feature, designed to enhance the privacy of iMessage users, is expected to play a crucial role in preventing eavesdropping by government agencies on critics’ conversations.
Apple first announced iMessage Contact Key Verification at the end of last year as a tool to counter “extraordinary digital threats.” The feature was aimed to safeguard conversations from malicious actors and was promised to arrive sometime in 2023. Now, with just over two weeks until the start of WWDC 2023, it appears that the iMessage Contact Key Verification could be rolled out with the release of iOS 16.6.
The first iOS 16.6 beta, released on Friday, seems to include the iMessage Contact Key Verification among its features. The verification tool appears as a new option within the Settings app, signifying that Apple is actively developing the feature. However, enabling Contact Key Verification does not yet seem to activate the feature, possibly because Apple has yet to fully implement it.
Once fully functional, iMessage Contact Key Verification is designed to send an automatic alert if Apple detects the addition of a rogue device to an account during an iMessage conversation. This alert will be sent provided all participants in the conversation have the feature enabled. Apple envisages this feature as a significant step in protecting activists, government officials, and journalists from state-sponsored hackers.
The iMessage Contact Key Verification is one of the last features Apple is expected to add to iOS 16 before the company shifts its full attention to iOS 17. As the technology world awaits the upcoming WWDC 2023, the introduction of this feature in the iOS 16.6 beta highlights Apple’s continuing commitment to user privacy and security.
