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Apple expands personal safety features with 'Safety Check'

Safety check allows users to quickly review which contacts may have access to their location or calendar info.

Screenshot / Apple

Apple is expanding its personal safety features in iOS 16 with Safety Check, a new feature meant to make it easier to lock down privacy and security settings. Safety check allows users to quickly review which contacts may have access to their location or calendar info, as well as the permissions being used by individual apps.

The feature is formatted into a checklist to make it easy to review and revoke access on an app-by-app or contact-by-contact basis. The company said the feature could be particularly impactful for people trying to flee an abusive relationship. In addition to the checklist, there's an "emergency reset" that allows users to sign out of iCloud, lock down privacy settings and limit incoming messages to only "the device in their hand."

The update comes after Apple has faced widespread scrutiny over AirTag-enabled tracking features that have since been linked to dozens of reported stalking incidents.

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