Apple appears to have implemented a major new privacy feature in the M4 iPad Pro, although it has gone largely undocumented.

Gui Rambo, app developer and security researcher, took to Mastodon to reveal information about Apple’s new Secure Indicator Light mechanism that was incorporated in the company’s latest iPad Pro.

Fun fact about the M4 iPad Pro: it’s the first device to support and use Apple’s new Secure Indicator Light (SIL) mechanism. When using the microphone or camera, the corresponding indicator dot is effectively rendered in hardware (using the display), making it a lot less likely that any malware or user space app would be able to access those sensors without the user’s knowledge.

— Gui Rambo (@[email protected]) | June 3, 2024

The inclusion of SIL is a major upgrade, since it helps ensure a person’s camera and microphone are not in use without their knowledge or consent.

Edward Snowden revealed the dangers posed by internal microphones and cameras in electronic devices, alleging that government agencies used them to spy on targets. Even for the average user, however, they still pose a security risk. Bad actors have been known to hack devices and remotely activate the microphone or camera, giving them valuable information to exploit later. Because most devices use software to enable or disable the indicator that lets a user know their microphone or camera is active, it’s a fairly simple matter for a bad actor to disable the indicator, making it nearly impossible for the victim to know they’re being monitored.

Even reputable companies have faced allegations of using internal microphones and cameras to spy on users. Facebook was sued in 2020 over allegations that Instagram was spying on users via their cameras.

Users have resorted to different measures to protect themselves from unwanted monitoring. Some users have taken to putting a piece of tape over their camera, while others have bought webcam cover slides from the many companies offering a third-party solution.

Apple’s solution is a much better option, tying the indicator to hardware instead of software, making it much harder for bad actors to fool users.