Earlier quoted context omitted.
> All of which has been common for a long time No, this has never been done before. > You where already sending your unencrypted phots to Apple No, I wasn't. The whole point here is that Apple is not scanning server side, they've built the functionality to scan device side. You need never use iCloud in any way whatsoever in order for Apple's new scanning tech to be used against you. That is a major difference. > Appl…
> The whole point here is that Apple is not scanning server side False. Apple complies with the laws pertaining to customer data and provides data as legally required. III. Information Available from Apple J. iCloud https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/law-enforcement-guidelin... > You need never use iCloud in any way whatsoever in order for Apple's new scanning tech to be used against you. False. Phones don’t downloa…
>False.
No, TRUE. Apple announced TWO difference technologies. The first one is specifically for completely independent machine learning client-side scanning of all messages. From Apple's own announcement:
>First, new communication tools will enable parents to play a more informed role in helping their children navigate communication online. The Messages app will use on-device machine learning to warn about sensitive content
Which has been clarified to mean any and all sexually explicit material, and then notifies the parents. Apple is billing this as only for child accounts and only to parents, but that is merely a set of flags and directions in the programming not anything inherent to the system. It could be applied to any ML model at all and the notifications sent to anyone at all. The system is now built and ready for governments to compel Apple to use for other things in complete violation of device owner's rights, backed by Apple's total ownership of device root.
The second feature is the one for client-side scanning of all photos uploaded to iCloud for illicit content using "neuralhash" which is subject to collisions as have already been repeatedly generated and received lots of discussion here as well as elsewhere (ie., [0]). That is claimed to be initially aimed at uploads and CSAM only, not that there is any way to be sure, but again same thing: the system now exists to perform arbitrary fuzzy scans on-device whether someone is uploading elsewhere or not.
This is absolutely new and horrible capability. If you upload something unencrypted to somebody else's property, as well as the law there is a reasonable common sense understanding that you're depending upon their good will and that they may be compelled at that point without having to involve you. "Possession is 9/10 of ownership" and all that, regardless of details. Now one's own personal private property will have built-in locked down systems to scan all your data based on arbitrary third party choices.
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