Apple’s photo-scanning plans
Apple was mired in controversy when, in August, it announced plans to scan for collections of known Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) on iCloud Photos, along with other child safety measures in Messages. Yet weeks later, it changed tack, pausing both programmes to “take additional time to collect input and make improvements before releasing these critically important child safety features.”
The timing of Apple’s August announcements certainly caused confusion. It was the CSAM scanning that provoked the biggest backlash from privacy advocates, with the American digital rights campaign organisation the Electronic Frontier Foundation calling it a “backdoor to your private life.”
