Apple Announces Update To Spot Child Abuse, But Faces Backlash For Privacy Issues

Apple Inc (AAPL) on Friday announced that a new system update will be introduced later this year that will have certain cryptography to will help in the detection of child abuse images and help the law enforcement to curb the issue.

While the word was on the cards for the entire time, the company’s statement gives a detailed account of how and where the tech will be implemented.

Apple announced a tri-fold process for the program. In the first layer, “the Messages app will use on-device machine learning to warn about sensitive content, while keeping private communications unreadable by Apple.”

Second, while uploading an image to iCloud, the algorithm will identify possible matches for child sexual abuse material or CSAM, with a database of similar images that it has developed with US National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) and other similar organizations.

Later, Siri and Search will also be enabled to intervene and help both parents and children look for help regarding child abuse.

According to the statement, the algorithm will be introduced in the new iOS, iPadOS, WatchOS and MacOS Monterey, in the fall in the US.

However, the news has raised a few eyebrows with its level of interference. The statement said, “The Messages app will add new tools to warn children and their parents when receiving or sending sexually explicit photos.”

In its defense, the company has claimed that the system has “extremely high level of accuracy and ensures less than a one in one trillion chance per year of incorrectly flagging a given account”.

According to a security researcher at John Hopkins University, Matthew Green, the ability to scan personal information will create a huge risk as it will pave the way for the governments to tap everyone. “Whether they turn out to be right or wrong on that point hardly matters. This will break the dam — governments will demand it from everyone,” said Green.

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