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0 pointsgjsman-10004y ago0 comments

Google has been scanning photos for CSAM for... what, almost a decade now?

Also, as an iPhone user, contrary to the recent Hacker News fight, I actually view this CSAM scanning with a sign of hope, because this hints that we could get end-to-end encryption on iCloud Storage. The CSAM scanning is rumored to be just a prerequisite to get the government to shut up with their biggest critique of E2E, so that Apple can then turn it on.

If I can get E2E storage from iCloud but accept CSAM scanning on my device to satisfy the law... I'm OK with that choice. You might not, in which case, Android (and I'll probably buy a backup Android phone "just in case").

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8 comments · 1 top-level

sigmar4y ago· 7 in thread

Oh yes, I'm sure the FBI will be satisfied with using the backdoor to only find CSAM, they definitely will not use the access for 'anti-terrorism' and drug enforcement. That sounds just like the FBI.

What good is E2E encryption when they can scan your client with a backdoor? All Apple is doing with this hashing is giving themselves plausible deniability when this access gets abused down the road. "Oh we didn't know they would use those hashes to arrest those protesters, we couldn't have foreseen this"

gjsman-1000OP4y ago

E2E with some scanning at the onramp is still much better than no E2E. If iCloud was compromised, your data is still safe, among many other reasons. If the US Military physically raided the data center and carted out all the hard drives, my data would still be secure. It's still a better alternative. It's not perfect by any stretch, but it's better than what we have now.

Also you are aware Google Photos, Facebook, etc. do scanning anyway and have for almost a decade?

twobitshifter4y ago

Doesn’t Apple have a front door to change your phone at the FBI behest? Weren’t they already able to upload data (telemetry etc)? It doesn’t make sense to pretend that there was an existing state where Apple couldn’t get data off your phone if the FBI ordered surveillance.

sigmar4y ago

There was a huge court case about Apple refusing to update the OS of a particular phone that was in fbi possession in order for the fbi to see its encrypted contents. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FBI%E2%80%93Apple_encryption_d...

withinboredom4y ago

Yes, we are one warrant away from just sending all data to the FBI using this system.

Spivak4y ago

But this was already true! I don't get why this is the thing that's made people realize that they have zero control over their phones and that Apple could have any time in the last decade just uploaded all of your data to the FBI if compelled to.

beders4y ago

There is no privacy on the internet and on your phone. People really need to get over this.

runjake4y ago

I won’t get over it. You need to get over people not getting over it.

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