Apple is reportedly ditching a controversial plan to scan users’ photos stored in iCloud amid an ongoing privacy push for child sexual abuse material, or CSAM.
These security tools, announced in August 2021, were meant to flag illegal content while maintaining privacy. But the plans drew widespread criticism from digital rights groups, who argued that the surveillance capabilities were ripe for potential abuse.
Apple put the plans on hold after a month. Now, more than a year after it was announced, the company has no plans to move forward with the CSAM-detection tool.
The company says that it is developing new features that will better balance the privacy of users and protect children. Such parameters would allow parents to limit their child’s contacts, limit content and screen time, and provide app stores carefully curated for children.
Apple says the best way to prevent online abuse of children is to stop it before it happens. The company pointed to new features introduced in December 2021 that enabled the process.
The company says it will develop new features to balance users’ privacy and help protect children. SOPA Images/LightRocket by Gett
For example, communication security in Messages includes warnings when offensive photos are sent, and expanded guidance in Siri, Spotlight, and Safari Search.
The company is working on an update to communications safety in Messages to cover nudity in video and other child safety protections. Apple says it’s also working with child safety professionals to make reporting incidents to law enforcement more seamless.
The company announced on Wednesday that it will now offer full end-to-end encryption for nearly all data stored by its users in its global cloud-based storage systems, thereby protecting sensitive user information from hackers, spies and law enforcement agencies. will be more difficult to reach.
