Apple's iCloud Private Relay Leaks Users' IP Addresses: Should You Be Worried?

Is Apple's Private Relay even ready for public use?

iCloud Private Relay is a part of the iCloud+ subscription. The feature aims to enhance user privacy by protecting the original IP address and encrypting DNS requests. While it is still in its beta phase with iOS 15, it is a significant addition as a privacy-centric feature.

Apple claims that it cannot track any of your activities when you enable the Private Relay option. And, considering it as a new feature, not many applications fully support it, and you may encounter issues with some networks.

But, at its core, is it as private as it claims?

iCloud Private Relay to Protect User Privacy: How Private Is It?

As per a recent report by the researchers at FingerprintJS, Apple's private relay feature seems to be leaking the actual IP address of a user, which defeats the purpose of using the service.

The vulnerability has been patched in macOS Monterey beta but remains unpatched in iOS 15 at the time of publishing.

While it routes your connections through two different places (Apple's relay and a third-party relay), the original IP address of a user can be seen through WebRTC (web real-time communication). Usually, you utilize WebRTC connections when using video or audio calling apps.

The issue may have been resolved when you were reading this. But, that means, iCloud Private Relay feature does not provide you total privacy as of yet.

Related: Do You Need a VPN to Keep Internet Activity Private?

Private Relay Is Not the Ultimate Privacy Solution Yet

Even though Apple makes bold claims about its new tech, it is not ready for prime time.

To be on the safe side, you should not rely on any single feature to ensure online privacy. You can always use VPNs, encrypted DNS services, private browsers, and several other options without needing to opt for an iCloud+ subscription.

While Apple's iCloud Private Relay could be promising for the future, it may not be the answer to your online privacy just yet.

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