Comment by u4918

In Apple's public comments they repeatedly say things like "Apple can't access metadata or visual derivatives for matched CSAM images until a threshold of matches is exceeded for an iCloud Photos account."

If they are only concerned with iCloud accounts then... why not scan in the cloud? Can anyone explain to me why client-side scanning is actually needed here? As far as I'm aware, Apple only E2E encrypts iMessages, not iCloud photos or backups.

US politicians (to say nothing of countries with less individual freedoms) already openly pressure tech companies to censor specific content. And tech companies will do so even to the point of blocking direct, private, 1-1 messages sharing specific news. In that light, Apple's crossing a line to client-side scanning seems deeply concerning.

I don't see how keeping this as narrowly-targeted as it's being advertised would ever be possible or even intended.