Apple has always been a promoter of privacy. The Cupertino-based tech giant introduced T2 security chip on its 2018 MacBooks. It is now present in all the Apple MacBook and Macs released since those models This proprietary security chip helps in disconnecting the microphone when the lid of the notebook is shut. Now, according to the Apple Security Platform document, the company has included a similar feature in the newly-launched iPad Pro 2020 models.
The new iPad Pro 2020 is basically the 2018 iPad Pro with a newer A12Z Bionic processor and a third LIDAR camera for AR applications. But it is the first of its kind to feature hardware-level microphone disconnect functionality as a privacy measure. In fact, Apple confirms that going forward all the new iPads will come with this feature.
The automatic microphone disconnect feature on iPad Pro 2020 and the forthcoming models require the users to shut their Apple tablets with an MFI (Made for iPad) compliant case. By doing so, the microphone on the iPad will be disconnected in hardware and thus microphone audio data cannot be used by software, even with root or kernel privileges.
However, it is worth noting that Apple says the cameras on MacBooks don’t disconnect as their field of view is obstructed by the lid. As for iPads, it does not mention anything about the camera disconnection since there’s no need for it anyway as the case covers the whole front and the rear cameras are faced down.
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