Apple’s paid Safari protection feature that promises to keep your IP masked doesn’t always work, according to security researchers Tommy Mysk and Talal Haj Bakry It turns out iCloud Private Relay can expose your real IP to websites that use or pretend to use passkeys
It turns out iCloud Private Relay can expose your real IP to websites that use or pretend to use passkeys.
โiCloudโ Private Relay is a service included with paid โiCloudโ+ plans.
It is supposed to hide your IP and DNS information when you browse the web using Safari, but it is not a VPN that masks all traffic from a device. Passkeys use the WebAuthn standard, which stores a private key on your device, not the Safari browser. The request the system sends to the website isn’t protected by Private Relay and can leak your IP address.
The scientific context matters more than the headline: the finding only earns its place once independent teams have checked the method and the results.
What to watch:
- peer review, replication, or follow-up research from other teams
- whether the method moves from lab testing into real-world systems
- clear explanations of limits, uncertainty, and what still needs proof
Why This Matters
What changed: It turns out iCloud Private Relay can expose your real IP to websites that use or pretend to use passkeys. Independent confirmation is still pending, since coverage so far rests on a single outlet. For security readers, security stories need attention because a small warning can turn into an urgent update, password change, or device maintenance task.
Chuckyโs Analysis
The most concrete part of this story is that โiCloudโ Private Relay is a service included with paid โiCloudโ+ plans.
Because this rests on a single outlet’s reporting, treat the specifics as credible but not yet cross-checked; the first independent confirmation is the signal to watch.
The open question for security readers is how quickly patches or mitigations reach real systems, and how attackers respond.
The signal to watch is privacy and security implications.
Key Takeaways
- What we know: apple’s paid Safari protection feature that promises to keep your IP masked doesn’t always work, according to security researchers Tommy Mysk and Talal Haj Bakry.
- What it means for you: security stories need attention because a small warning can turn into an urgent update, password change, or device maintenance task.
- What to watch next: privacy and security implications; hands-on reports that show whether the headline holds up in real use; official confirmation and technical details.
Sources
This article was compiled from the following independent reporting:
Links direct readers to the original coverage so claims can be checked directly.
Conclusion
In short: apple’s paid Safari protection feature that promises to keep your IP masked doesn’t always work, according to security researchers Tommy Mysk and Talal Haj Bakry. Watch for privacy and security implications; hands-on reports that show whether the headline holds up in real use before drawing conclusions about real-world impact.
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About the Author
ChuckysCarnage is an independent technology news site covering gadgets, software, science, and space. Every article is written from the dayโs independent reporting, checked against the linked original sources, and reviewed for accuracy before it goes live. Corrections are handled through the Contact page and the Editorial Policy.
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