APPLE TO ADD 'LOCKDOWN' SAFEGUARD ON IPHONES, IPADS, MACS

Apple said it will roll out a "lockdown" option for iPhones, iPads, and Mac computers intended to protect against spyware unleashed by state-sponsored hackers - although enabling that protection will also make these devices less useful.

The safeguard announced this week is a tacit acknowledgment that not even Apple - the world's most valuable company - has been able to adequately shield the iPhone and its other products against intrusions from state-backed hackers and commercial spyware.

Governments have used these tools to violate the privacy of journalists, political dissidents, and human rights activists.

The new feature, called "lockdown mode, will initially be offered as a test version so that security researchers can help Apple identify any bugs or weaknesses. Apple usually releases its major updates to its device operating systems in late September.

While only a handful of countries appear to have the resources to develop in-house mobile phone hacking tools, private companies like Israel’s NSO Group have been selling phone hacking software to government agencies around the world for years.