Apple’s ‘Communication Safety in Messages’ is Reportedly Making its Way to Canada

Apple is said to be expanding its child safety ‘Communication Safety in Messages’ feature by bringing it to Canada. The feature will be arriving via a “soon-coming update,” according to blogger and content creator Rene Ritchie.

In a tweet, Richie stated that Apple is bringing its child safety features to Canada. The US-exclusive feature was implemented to scan incoming photos on a child’s device for nudity and other potentially harmful material and flags them.

In a soon-coming update, Apple will be bringing their Child Safety features to Canada 🇨🇦:

💬 Communication Safety in Messages

✋ Expanded guidance in Siri, Spotlight, and Search (with Canadian resources)

More on those features here: https://t.co/8BG6asw1QR

— Rene Ritchie (@reneritchie) April 20, 2022

As Apple explains, the feature is able to identify harmful content and will then blur the photo. The child is then warned on their end. The user is also given resources and reassurance that it is okay to not view the material.

Similarly, the feature will send protection to a child if they are attempting to send sensitive material. The Communication Safety in Messages feature also incorporates the ability to message someone they trust for help in both cases.

Ritchie goes on to explain that the feature once debuted in Canada will fold in “expanded guidance” for Siri, Search, and Spotlight. Siri, for instance, can provide resources when asked how to report child exploitation. Search and Spotlight can also intervene when search queries related to child exploitation are administered. Once again, resources identifying why this is harmful will then be provided.

Resources to users within Canada will be Canadian-specific. It’s still unknown which partners Apple will be working with primarily.