Apple adds Safety Check feature to protect victims of abusive relationships

Apple is looking out for its users that may also be victims of domestic abuse as it introduced the Safety Check addition to iOS 16 at the 2022 Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC).

In the video outlining the new feature, Apple's senior manager for User Privacy Software, Katie Skinner, revealed that the company worked together with organizations like the National Network to End Domestic Violence, National Centers for Victims of Crime, and The Women's Services Network to come up with the new feature.

With Safety Check, users can quickly revoke any access to apps and data - like the victim's location - that they may have shared with their partners. Aside from stopping the sharing of their location, Safety Check also resets privacy permissions for all apps. The feature will all sign the user out of iCloud on all of their other devices.

The new feature will certainly be something that may prove useful even to Filipino users. In a 2017 National Demographic and Health Survey conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority, it was revealed that one in four Filipino women aged 15 to 49 have experienced physical, emotional, or sexual violence by their husband or partner.

With more and more of people's personal data and sensitive information stored on phones or online, the giant tech companies are introducing more and more features to help safeguard and secure the privacy of users.

Last month, Google, together with Globe and the Center for Art, New Ventures, and Sustainable Development (CANVAS), staged an exhibit that teaches young people how to appreciate and protect their online privacy and security.

Google also has its Password Manager, which not only generates passwords for users but also saves, manages, and secures them across multiple accounts.

Take a look at some celebrities who have had their social media accounts hacked in the gallery below.

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, you can call the 911 National Emergency Hotline, as well as the Aleng Pulis hotline number 09197777377. The Inter-Agency Council on Violence Against Women and their Children can also be reached through the mobile numbers 09178671907 or 09454558121.