Apple says content shared using “Anyone with the Link” on version 27.3 or later of iOS, iPadOS, macOS and visionOS will be accessible to Apple for checks for harmful content. The statement concerns items shared with that permission. Apple’s support page does not describe a general scan of private iCloud files or messages.
If you share an item so anyone with its link can access it, account for Apple’s stated content checks as well as access by link holders.
The sharing permission is the key distinction
“Anyone with the Link” lets anyone who has the link access the shared item. Apple says that, on the named operating systems at version 27.3 or later, the item will also be accessible to Apple for harmful-content checks.
La Guía Central reports that the described scope includes shared items in iCloud Photos and files in iCloud Drive. It also reports that private files and links set to “People you choose” are outside this process. That option limits access to selected recipients rather than everyone with the link.
What the policy says about content and consequences
Apple uses the term “harmful content” but does not define the category or explain how the checks work. La Guía Central reports that Apple may take action involving content or accounts in some cases, but that a flagged item does not automatically trigger a penalty.
The version threshold and existing encryption condition
The stated threshold is version 27.3 or later of iOS, iPadOS, macOS and visionOS. La Guía Central reported that the first developer beta of iOS 27.3 appeared on November 3, 2026, and that a general release was expected in December 2026.
La Guía Central also reports that sharing through public links was already not protected by end-to-end encryption, even with Advanced Data Protection enabled. That is a reported existing condition of public-link sharing, separate from Apple’s stated content checks.
