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After criticism, Apple to only seek abuse images flagged in multiple nations

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Re: After criticism, Apple to only seek abuse images flagged in multiple nations

#112
post #28

And... Apple misses the point of the criticism completely. This problem is the capability, not what it's used for. Any such capability will be abused by new use cases be it terrorism, drug trafficking, human trafficking or whatever. Plus there will inevitably be unauthorized access. The only way to prevent all this is for the system not to exist. I don't buy into theories that Apple is being pressured or coerced on a…

I wonder if "we won't use it for anything else" is really any less credible than other vendors who simply aren't talking about any scanning they may or may not be doing.

We know TV makers scan what you watch, even from other inputs, for ad targeting. This sort of capability is already widespread and basically a commodity - who else is using it that hasn't told us? And can we do anything about it short of only using hardware and services where trusted parties have verified the source?

Re: After criticism, Apple to only seek abuse images flagged in multiple nations

#113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can't wait until /child-safety 404s or redirects to /safety and there's a wall of marketing blurb (possibly only in Chinese at first) that explains how 'national security' concerns are reported to the CCP. This has totally pushed me over the edge, though I'll admit I was oblivious to begin with. My plan is to replace the MacBooks with a Thinkpad P15 gen 2 running Ubuntu and replace the iPhone with something running…

Same here. Just that I'll get rid of MS and Google. That means CalyxOS on my Pixel 2 and some version of Linux on my private ThinkPad. Once I find time that is, which to be honest can take a while. I think the last time I used my private laptop was over a month ago. Phone is different, but again time constraints. It will happen so.

I'm in the same situation in terms of tech debt against my personal infrastructure. I have plans to migrate my personal (currently Ubuntu) server to use Proxmox on top of selling the current machines & buying new non-Apple ones for this. The evening and weekend time is tight.

Re: After criticism, Apple to only seek abuse images flagged in multiple nations

#115
post #67

They put out a new paper [0] describing the security thread model they were working with, and this paragraph on page 9 stood out to me: The perceptual CSAM hash database is included, in an encrypted form, as part of the signed operating system. It is never downloaded or updated separately over the Internet or through any other mechanism. This claim is subject to code inspection by security researchers like all other…

That paper is being discussed at https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28173134.

Re: After criticism, Apple to only seek abuse images flagged in multiple nations

#116
post #86
post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They know they can essentially wait out the public outcry, plus they can even buffer things a little bit by calling their critics "confused" and introduce measures that don't address anything but sound reasonable to lay persons in an effort to distort the conversation. The platform is not in danger. But if it were, then yes, I think they'd still risk it. It's either that or getting shut out of markets gradually by la…

> It's either that or getting shut out of markets gradually by law enforcement and governments. How come that's not happening to desktop Linux then?

Desktop Linux in no way compares to iOS market share, and even if it did, it'd require a different type of attack. Apple is vulnerable precisely because it is the one single vendor in complete control of anything related to the iPhone.

Personally I do think it's likely we'll see a successful anti-Linux smear campaign and/or laws in the next few years, but I have to admit that's a pretty pessimistic take.

Re: After criticism, Apple to only seek abuse images flagged in multiple nations

#117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Occam's razor says they aren't playing 11th dimensional chess and that they just fucked up. It happens.

"Build this. Don't explain why" is not chess. It would be a perfectly logical order from the power structures Snowden exposed. eta: It makes way more sense to me than Apple actually thinking this was a good idea.

"Don't tell anyone" seems like it would be step 3 of the instructions there.

Re: After criticism, Apple to only seek abuse images flagged in multiple nations

#118

What happened to it being USA only? This sounds like one of those errors where they double down on it and call it a "solution". Sounds like they're misunderstanding people's concerns pretty badly. Sorry if we miscommunicated. Kill this "feature" yesterday. Thanks Tim!

My impression was that it's currently US only because that's the only country so far where they've arranged a process to report their users to the cops. No reason they wouldn't expand it as they make arrangements with other countries.

They've really bought into a ton of complexity at all levels by doing this instead of just scanning stuff on their own servers, which would at least have been a clear dividing line. Privacy is really all about control, and on-device scanning dangerously blurs that line.

Re: After criticism, Apple to only seek abuse images flagged in multiple nations

#119
post #87
post #28

And... Apple misses the point of the criticism completely. This problem is the capability, not what it's used for. Any such capability will be abused by new use cases be it terrorism, drug trafficking, human trafficking or whatever. Plus there will inevitably be unauthorized access. The only way to prevent all this is for the system not to exist. I don't buy into theories that Apple is being pressured or coerced on a…

> This problem is the capability > The only way to prevent all this is for the system not to exist. I've been having trouble following this argument over the last week. Isn't it clear that the capability already exists? Whether or not Apple goes through with its CSAM plan, the capability is evidently there. In other words, since Apple is a closed system, the capability was there before they announced the CSAM plans.…

Once a certain piece of technology exists, courts can order that it be used a certain way other than the way it was intended.

Neither courts nor legislative bodies are capable of explicitly requiring the invention of technology that doesn't yet exist, although in some cases they could make it an implicit requirement of a law.

At least in the US most lawmakers are varying shades of technologically illiterate and don't have a grasp of what is possible or not possible. If technology doesn't exist yet, you can say to them "this is impossible", and with enough of a bribe, they will believe it.

Apple by building this technology, has put it on the map and announced that this technology both possible and is ready.

Re: After criticism, Apple to only seek abuse images flagged in multiple nations

#120
post #28

And... Apple misses the point of the criticism completely. This problem is the capability, not what it's used for. Any such capability will be abused by new use cases be it terrorism, drug trafficking, human trafficking or whatever. Plus there will inevitably be unauthorized access. The only way to prevent all this is for the system not to exist. I don't buy into theories that Apple is being pressured or coerced on a…

Because most people dont care. All of HN can stop buying Apple, itll make .000001% difference to their profit if even.
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