iCloud spam filter to blame for auto-deletion of emails containing pornographic phrase
Apple on Thursday addressed a perceived issue with its iCloud email service, saying that strict spam filters are to blame for the automatic deletion of correspondence containing the phrase "barely legal teen."
Users recently reported the situation to Macworld, noting that instead of relegating the possibly pornographic emails to a spam folder, iCloud is "pre-filtering" or automatically deleting the messages with no notification to sender or recipient.
AppleInsider was able to confirm the activity, which affects emails containing "barely legal teen" in the subject line, body, attached PDF document and attached zipped PDF file. Outgoing messages from iCloud accounts to non-iCloud addresses were allowed to pass, as were replies to emails sent from Apple's service.
Apple responded, saying, "Occasionally, automated spam filters may incorrectly block legitimate email. If the customer feels that a legitimate message is blocked, we encourage customers to report it to AppleCare.?
As part of the iCloud's Terms and Conditions, the company notes that it can pre-screen or otherwise modify content at any time:
iCloud's so-called "silent email filtering" raises questions as to the reliability of Apple's service as an inadvertent phrase flagged by the spam blocking system could cause a user to never receive a message. The situation is concerning given both iCloud users and senders have no way of knowing an email was not received as the messages are simply deleted.
Other services, like Google's Gmail, Yahoo Mail or Microsoft's Outlook, are not known to have such measures in place and funnel spam into appropriately tagged folders.
Users recently reported the situation to Macworld, noting that instead of relegating the possibly pornographic emails to a spam folder, iCloud is "pre-filtering" or automatically deleting the messages with no notification to sender or recipient.
AppleInsider was able to confirm the activity, which affects emails containing "barely legal teen" in the subject line, body, attached PDF document and attached zipped PDF file. Outgoing messages from iCloud accounts to non-iCloud addresses were allowed to pass, as were replies to emails sent from Apple's service.
Apple responded, saying, "Occasionally, automated spam filters may incorrectly block legitimate email. If the customer feels that a legitimate message is blocked, we encourage customers to report it to AppleCare.?
As part of the iCloud's Terms and Conditions, the company notes that it can pre-screen or otherwise modify content at any time:
You acknowledge that Apple is not responsible or liable in any way for any Content provided by others and has no duty to pre-screen such Content. However, Apple reserves the right at all times to determine whether Content is appropriate and in compliance with this Agreement, and may pre-screen, move, refuse, modify and/or remove Content at any time, without prior notice and in its sole discretion, if such Content is found to be in violation of this Agreement or is otherwise objectionable.
iCloud's so-called "silent email filtering" raises questions as to the reliability of Apple's service as an inadvertent phrase flagged by the spam blocking system could cause a user to never receive a message. The situation is concerning given both iCloud users and senders have no way of knowing an email was not received as the messages are simply deleted.
Other services, like Google's Gmail, Yahoo Mail or Microsoft's Outlook, are not known to have such measures in place and funnel spam into appropriately tagged folders.
Comments
Now let's see if this comment shows up here without filtering.
"
WHAT ?
Huh. So Apple scans users email, including "taking a peek" at whatever was written in the body of them.
Sure. But unlike Google, Apple doesn't store it or sell your information to the highest bidder.
Personally, I'd be just as happy if they dropped spam filters - and instituted capital punishment for spammers. /s
Quote:
Originally Posted by jragosta
Sure. But unlike Google, Apple doesn't store it or sell your information to the highest bidder.
What user data does Apple store? For how long? Email records aren't saved? Where did you read Google stores your email and sells it to the highest bidder?
For a smart guy you sometimes make the silliest claims, already knowing they aren't true when you write them.
Apple needs to get on top of this. I definitely need to make sure that I'm receiving all of the "barely legal teen" emails that might be addressed to me.
As far as I'm concerned, people who like the "barely legal teen" category should not be subjected to unfair and unlawful discrimination, especially by a company who has recently come out in full support of gay marriage.
Originally Posted by Alexmit
Barely legal teen
Now let's see if this comment shows up here without filtering.
Defensio's pretty stupid. It ALWAYS lets through the "FOR SALE $$$$I-phone$$$$" posts while automatically deleting a post with a quote in in if it's made by someone with fewer than 20 posts.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gatorguy
Huh. So Apple scans users email, including "taking a peek" at whatever was written in the body of them.
It's no different from Gmail's automated systems going through your emails to display targeted ads:
Ads in Gmail
Google assures us no human reads the emails but don't forget their humans have access to the servers and the code they run.
This is true of iCloud, Hotmail etc but these services are all provided for "free".
People who want complete peace of mind that nobody's been meddling or snooping at their emails should rent a mail server from a hosting company or ideally, run a mail server on their own premises. They may be interested in PGP encryption too.
That dog won't hunt.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Suddenly Newton
In what universe does the subject line containing "barely legal teen" sent from someone you do not know mean anything other than spam? It's probably a true positive match for spam more often than a false positive.
The article wasn't calling attention to "barely legal teen" being identified as spam. You're correct it probably should be properly ID'd as just that no matter who's email service is being used.
The issue was the automatic deletion of an email containing the phrase rather than being relegated to a spam folder. It leaves an open question about what other phrases, words or topics also prompt an automatic deletion from Apple, and whether legitimate communications between Apple users have been inadvertantly flagged and disposed of. It's a very unusual policy, perhaps even unique.
I want to party with Mikey Campbell.
Originally Posted by Suddenly Newton
In what universe does the subject line containing "barely legal teen" sent from someone you do not know mean anything other than spam?
RSC 8403-613-0-0-8-5, the universe of nothing but 18-year-old girls on their birthday. You're born as an 18-year-old girl, it is always your birthday, and then you die as an 18-year-old girl on your 18th birthday.
It's a sick scene, man.
Quote:
Originally Posted by oomu
"Other services, like Google's Gmail, Yahoo Mail or Microsoft's Outlook, are not known to have such measures in place.
"
WHAT ?
How would anyone know? I mean how many non porn messages have that phrase in them for someone to be expecting a message to come through
Quote:
Originally Posted by jragosta
Sure. But unlike Google, Apple doesn't store it or sell your information to the highest bidder.
Personally, I'd be just as happy if they dropped spam filters - and instituted capital punishment for spammers. /s
I'll be happy when they finally institute spam filters on mobile mail. I'm tired of leaving my computer on at home all day just so my phone doesn't get flooded with spam.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Suddenly Newton
In what universe does the subject line containing "barely legal teen" sent from someone you do not know mean anything other than spam? It's probably a true positive match for spam more often than a false positive.
Yeah, but the key is the "more often" part.
It has to be seriously close to 99.9% for them to justify deleting it immediately versus putting it in your spam folder. I would think in conjunction with the sender being a stranger that this one probably qualifies, but we don't really know.
Edit: I just thought of some obvious situations ...
You're writing a book about pornography. You're writing a non-pornographic essay or a novel (ironically) called "Barely Legal Teen." You're writing a treatise on SPAM.
Edit 2:
You're one of those a-holes that works for a SPAM outfit and your sending your latest copy for the next SPAM to your boss. It's a single, private, person to person email so to delete it is to abuse the rights of the person sending it.