Apple checks photos uploaded to iCloud for child pornography

After several years, Apple officially participated in the CES trade fair, where it was represented on a panel that dealt with privacy and the protection of sensitive user data. CPO (Chief Privacy Officer) Jane Horvath took part in the panel and some interesting information was heard during it.

The statement that Apple uses special tools to identify photos that may capture signs of child pornography or child abuse resonated most in the media. During the panel, there was no specific information about what tools Apple uses or how the whole process works. Even so, there has been a wave of interest stemming from the fact that the entire statement can be interpreted as someone (or something) checking photos stored on iCloud. Which could mean a potential breach of user privacy.

Jane Horvath at CES (Source)

However, Apple is neither the first nor the last to use similar systems. For example, Facebook, Twitter or Google use a special tool from Microsoft called PhotoDNA, which deals with comparing uploaded photos with a database of images on which the above was captured. If the system detects a match, it flags the image and further investigation occurs. Apple wants to use its photo monitoring tool to prevent child pornography and other files capturing illegal activity from being found on its servers.

It's not entirely clear when Apple started using this scanning tool, but several clues suggest it may have happened last year, when Apple slightly tweaked the information in iCloud's terms of service. In this case, the biggest challenge is to find that golden middle ground that does not ignore the potentially illegal actions of iCloud users, but at the same time preserves a certain degree of privacy, which, by the way, is something that Apple has built its image on in recent years.

This topic is extremely complex and complicated. There will be supporters of both sides of the opinion spectrum among users, and Apple will have to tread very carefully. Recently, the company has been quite successful in building the image of a brand that cares about the privacy and protection of its users' information. However, similar tools and possible problems associated with them can spoil this image.

Source: Cultofmac