Apple iOS 9.3 Update Has Feature Employers Will Hate?


The most recent Apple iOS update, iOS 9.3, will reportedly have a feature that all employers will hate. The update is still in beta mode, but it is expected to tell people if their phones are being monitored by their employers. It will bring an end to workplace snooping and is being met with mixed reviews.

There are some employers out there who monitor everything their employees are doing online. They will track websites visited via workplace computers and follow text messages being sent from work phones. Apple, who believes in privacy if the current FBI case reported on by the Inquisitr is anything to go by, wants to make sure all employees are aware when their phone is potentially being tracked by someone else.

The last few Apple iOS updates have introduced extra privacy. The biggest was the encryption added to iOS 8, which means phones cannot be unlocked without the passcode. Apple employees cannot get past the encryption, which is currently a big problem for the FBI. Upgrades just keep coming, offering more protection to privacy. Now, iPhones will send a message to people if their phones are being supervised, according to Mashable. The message will appear in the About section of the phone and on the lock screen of the device, so people are always aware.

It is a very simple message, according to reports, stating, “This iPhone is managed by your organization.” It does not mean that employers are definitely tracking everyone’s phone use at the same time, only that the company has the ability to. The About screen tells employees more detail of how the tracking takes place, including through location services and internet-use monitoring.

Employers will likely hate this new move. It means that individuals will be aware before they use the phone, so the companies cannot secretly track someone. Employees would need to be aware that their usage was being monitored for the sake of their human rights. However, many employees forget about this and tend to do silly things when they think they can get away with it.

There will be limitations to the new addition judging by the beta mode. Apple will not allow users to protect their privacy by turning off the ability for others to track use. The tech giant just wants to offer people the warning with the new iOS update, but that does not mean further updates will come in the future. This could raise too many concerns for employers, though, and even Apple may not want to go that far.

An argument against this is that employers do not want their workers to feel like they are always being watched. They will have told their workers how they monitor phones and should not need a message to show all the time. The message implies that they are being watched 24/7, but this is certainly not the case.

The new Apple iOS 9.3 update will include other new features, including the ability for Verizon users to call via Wi-Fi. The company is also introducing Night Shift, which will turn the bright blue light on phones to a darker tone to help people sleep. Studies have shown that the bright blue light tells the brain that it is daylight and prevents people from sleeping. However, this new app is surrounded in controversy, as F.lux created it some time ago and has had its app removed and rejected from the Apple App Store. F.lux now wants the chance to compete within the App Store, since it thought of the app first.

There is no news on when the new update will be released. Many believe that the Apple iOS 9.3 update will arrive after Apple’s tech event in March.

[Photo by Bryan Thomas/Getty Images]

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