Apple To Abandon Industry-Leading Privacy And Security

[ITGeek]

From AP (just one of many such articles):

Apple to scan U.S. iPhones for images of child sexual abuse
By FRANK BAJAK and BARBARA ORTUTAY Aug. 6, 2021

Apple unveiled plans to scan U.S. iPhones for images of child sexual abuse, drawing applause from child protection groups but raising concern among some security researchers that the system could be misused, including by governments looking to surveil their citizens.
...
Separately, Apple plans to scan users’ encrypted messages for sexually explicit content as a child safety measure, which also alarmed privacy advocates.

Full article: Apple to scan U.S. iPhones for images of child sexual abuse

Another article, with more extensive comment from industry security and privacy experts: Fury at Apple's plan to scan iPhones for child abuse images and report 'flagged' owners to the police after a company employee has looked at their photos

So much for Apple's vaunted privacy and security

After I've vetted and re-vetted it several times, to ensure I'm stating my case as calmly and rationally as possible, I will be sending sternly-worded comments to Apple regarding my feelings about them installing spyware on our Apple devices and "tapping" iMessage traffic.

In the meantime: I have begun taking measures to prepare for our eventual separation from Apple and cancelled our plans to purchase additional Apple products.

It should go without saying I will not be recommending Apple products any longer.

 

[ITGeek]

Nearly 250 views and not a single comment?!?!

That's actually kind of disturbing in itself

 

[scifan57]

Apparently the scanning will not be done on the phone itself bit in iCloud. Nobody will be actually looking at photos but an algorithm will match the electronic data of the photos with known images of child sexual abuse. If you don’t allow any of your photos in iCloud they can’t be scanned.

 

[ITGeek]

Apparently the scanning will not be done on the phone itself bit in iCloud. Nobody will be actually looking at photos but an algorithm will match the electronic data of the photos with known images of child sexual abuse. If you don’t allow any of your photos in iCloud they can’t be scanned.

Nope. Read more carefully.

Apple is already scanning photos and videos in iCloud. So is Google, Dropbox, etc. Apparently they all are.

Apple, as of iOS 15, is going to install scanning software in iPhones and iPads that will scan photos and videos in the mobile devices.

Here's a video that, while rather long and with annoying volume differences between host and guest (you'll want to ride your volume control carefully), explains it very well:



My wife (not a techie) didn't understand why I was so outraged by this. I asked her to watch that video with me. After that her response (paraphrased) was "Oh."

She's no longer giving me any push-back about moving off the Apple ecosystem if Apple goes through with this.

 

[J. A.]

So far, Apple hasn’t been scanning photos and videos, neither on your device nor in iCloud. scifan57 was right: CSAM detection is connected to iCloud.

Craig Federighi Acknowledges Confusion Around Apple Child Safety Features and Explains New Details About Safeguards

Apple's senior vice president of software engineering, Craig Federighi, has today defended the company's controversial planned child safety...

www.macrumors.com

Child Safety

Expanded Protections for Children

www.apple.com

 

[J. A.]

Apple published the following today:

https://www.apple.com/child-safety/pdf/Security_Threat_Model_Review_of_Apple_Child_Safety_Features.pdf

 

[ITGeek]

Regardless of what Apple is or is not doing now, Apple is going to install photo and video scanning software on users' phones and tablets as of iOS/iPadOS 15.

As for the scanning being "connected to iCloud." Sure, you can avoid it for now by turning off iCloud saving of your photos and videos. Then what? Unless you want to email them to yourself, how else will you get them off the phone or tablet? (I will note that on Android devices I've had in the past that would've been no problem, because they appeared as USB filesystems.)

Besides: At that point the camel's nose is in the tent. Minor change here, minor change there, and, voilà, it's role has been expanded.

This is not acceptable to me. I won't be using devices with spyware installed upon them.

 

[NSquirrel]

ITGeek >> I won't be using devices with spyware installed upon them.

Unfortunately one has to accept that it will be on everything sooner, later, or is possibly already installed unknown to most of us.

 

[ITGeek]

ITGeek >> I won't be using devices with spyware installed upon them.

Unfortunately one has to accept that it will be on everything sooner, later, or is possibly already installed unknown to most of us.

If it gets to that point I suppose I'll have to downgrade to "dumber" devices. (I'm already looking into those, too.)

I moved to Apple, from Android, for better privacy and security. I was willing to give up a lot for that. With this move, I would regard Apple's privacy and security at least as bad as Android's, so there'd no longer be a reason to live with iOS' downsides.

 

[NSquirrel]

ITGeek > I suppose I'll have to downgrade to "dumber" devices.

Two baked bean cans and a length of string did come to mind earlier

 

[ITGeek]

ITGeek > I suppose I'll have to downgrade to "dumber" devices.

Two baked bean cans and a length of string did come to mind earlier

No way! That could be bugged with a shotgun mic!

Seriously: I'm keeping an eye on Lightphone and Pinephone. Before that, though, if I make the move back to Android, and if Google does a similarly-evil thing, then I'll probably look first to LineageOS or one of the Linux mobile OS'. (Though I'm truly not looking forward to making my mobile devices hobbies again.)

I really, really wish Apple hadn't gone this way. I was so happy