Apple is releasing iMessage Contact Key Verification with iOS 17.2, which is expected to be made available in December.
Announced late last year, Apple says with iMessage Contact Key Verification, “users who face extraordinary digital threats” — such as journalists, human rights activists, and members of government — can choose to further verify that they are messaging only with the people they intend.
Conversations between users who have enabled iMessage Contact Key Verification will receive automatic alerts if an exceptionally advanced adversary, such as a state-sponsored attacker, were ever to succeed breaching cloud servers and inserting their own device to eavesdrop on these encrypted communications. And for even higher security, iMessage Contact Key Verification users can compare a Contact Verification Code in person, on FaceTime, or through another secure call.
iMessage Contact Key Verification will also be available for macOS 14.2 and iPadOS 17.2.
