Apple Photos' 'Enhanced Visual Search' Raises Privacy Concerns in iOS 18 and macOS 15

Apple's iOS 18 and macOS 15 updates include a default-enabled 'Enhanced Visual Search' feature in the Photos app. While Apple claims to use homomorphic encryption and differential privacy to protect user data sent to its servers for processing, this has sparked privacy concerns. The author argues that Apple's decision to enable this feature by default without explicit user consent disregards user privacy expectations, especially given the history of security vulnerabilities in Apple software. The author strongly recommends disabling the feature, as the potential risks significantly outweigh any perceived benefits.