CSAM Spyware still pending

[iMore Question]

Is there any news on CSAM spyware?
I'd like to buy new iPhone and Macbook Pro but I don't want the computing power of this hardware used to spy on me.

 

[EdwinG]

Hello,

There are no news on the CSAM detection components.

 

[Momof2_1711]

I haven’t heard anything yet. I’m not buying any mew apple hardware until September 2022, so hopefully Apple make a decision before then.

 

[Up_And_Away]

I understand why someone would be hesitant given the story. IMHO, despite 'possibly' good intention of this keeping government at bay to enable iCloud E2EE, it was an error by Apple. It is the precedent, the slippery slope it created. However, if privacy concern is the reason for your hesitation then you have two choices: an iPhone and don't use iCloud or a Linux based phone. A Google based Android phone is for all intents and purposes anti privacy. (I know that will cause any Android user reading this post to bristle but it is reality).

IMHO, On-iPhone hash and scan for CSAM is dead. The funeral just hasn't been announced. If anything comes in its place it'll be -- I'd credit the author if I could remember who wrote it -- an off iphone intermediate scan before it goes to iCloud. How that'll lead to E2EE is ??? but IMHO non E2EE for electronic device data backups, most especially smartphones, should be also of concern to everyone.

 

[Annie_M]

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[TwitchyPuppy]

Is there any news on CSAM spyware?
I'd like to buy new iPhone and Macbook Pro but I don't want the computing power of this hardware used to spy on me.

Hi!

It would actually take place locally, on your devices, and unless you do have CSAM material on them, you have nothing to worry about.
You most probably use spyware daily (like Facebook and it’s subsidiaries or Google); this isn’t.

To answer your question, the implementation got postponed until they can improve it

 

[TwitchyPuppy]

I understand why someone would be hesitant given the story. IMHO, despite 'possibly' good intention of this keeping government at bay to enable iCloud E2EE, it was an error by Apple. It is the precedent, the slippery slope it created. However, if privacy concern is the reason for your hesitation then you have two choices: an iPhone and don't use iCloud or a Linux based phone. A Google based Android phone is for all intents and purposes anti privacy. (I know that will cause any Android user reading this post to bristle but it is reality).

IMHO, On-iPhone hash and scan for CSAM is dead. The funeral just hasn't been announced. If anything comes in its place it'll be -- I'd credit the author if I could remember who wrote it -- an off iphone intermediate scan before it goes to iCloud. How that'll lead to E2EE is ??? but IMHO non E2EE for electronic device data backups, most especially smartphones, should be also of concern to everyone.

It happens on Google Photos and Dropbox too, they’re just keeping it on the down low.

And to be honest, if privacy is someone’s main concern, they shouldn’t get anything with an internet connection

 

[Ledsteplin]

It happens on Google Photos and Dropbox too, they’re just keeping it on the down low.

And to be honest, if privacy is someone’s main concern, they shouldn’t get anything with an internet connection

 

[Up_And_Away]

"It happens on Google Photos and Dropbox too, they’re just keeping it on the down low."
Yes, it's almost everyone too. Governments are pounding on the doors of these companies wanting easy access to user data. Check for illegal activity, don't E2EE it so they can see it easy. Apple is the biggest kid on the block so they're held to that elevated standard (and Apple is the only one of the big kids that pushes privacy so they set themselves out for extra scrutiny).

"And to be honest, if privacy is someone’s main concern, they shouldn’t get anything with an internet connection"
Yep, complete privacy is an extreme outlier, however, I see it as a trade off of certain levels. If you simply use an iPhone, decline sharing data when an app asks, don't use Google or Facebook apps, have iCloud+, use iCloud mail with hide my email, use Safari with Relay on (or better yet use a VPN), use Apple Pay - just these super easy steps changes the size of your personal recorded data file from a half million pages down to a thousand pages. It's the difference between them knowing 2 places I've gone this week instead of every place I've gone this week including when I woke up, every path I took, what I bought there, who I texted and called in that span, what I looked up online about it etc.
I understand if even that amount fo data is too much. Better to use the Linux phone, use VPN, pay cash. But I'm willing to give up a modest amount of data for what I get. But I'm unwilling to give up my almost every movement I make. That's going to be each person's individual choice.
Peace..