This is pretty big news. I wonder will there be an immediate push back by law enforcement and governments?
Maybe I am just misremembering since like you I figured that was the reason they were doing it, no other reason to do something like that if it was all going too sit there unencrypted.
edit: I take this back—"nothing" should be the right answer.
We all like to vilify Microsoft (rightfully so for all the telemetry crap they pull) but imagine if Windows started scanning all your local disks for files matching certain checksums then notifying authorities when matches occur (thumbnails / other metadata uploaded with the reports) like Apple was planning. Sure, it'll be CSAM first. Then, domestic terrorism; then RIAA / MPAA would jump in on the action... and finally, opaque checksum databases from local governments ("wrong think", Winnie the Pooh memes, pictures from protests, etc.) ; if we don't stop it in its infancy we're quickly tumbling down the slippery slope.
They would've only scanned the files that would end up in the cloud anyway.
But people went "omg my files", stuck their fingers in their ears and refused to read the damn spec.
FWIW, I don't use iCloud and never have used it; I don't care if they scan content once uploaded (it's their servers and I'm confident they'll continue scanning content there no matter how "E2EE" it is - see China and key sharing). As long as they keep their scanning on their devices and off of my device it's all good.
This is nonsensical. iCloud Photos is not e2ee and Apple already scans everything serverside. There is no need for redundant clientside scanning of iCloud Photos.
The clientside scanning is only needed in the cases where:
1) iCloud Photos is turned off
or
2) iCloud Photos is e2ee
Apple actively doesn't want to know your shit or analyse it on their servers. That's why they constantly do things on-device even if it's of worse quality than Google's approach of doing everything in the cloud.
It seems to me a little bit suspect that they wanted to do clientside scanning as a prerequisite for e2ee, as if they simply would not be allowed to publish society-wide e2ee privacy software (without government/regulatory retaliation) without such a law enforcement backdoor. This screams of prior restraint and we should be loudly asking our legislators why the fuck the FBI is pressuring Apple about what software they do or do not publish.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-apple-fbi-icloud-exclusiv...
There is a major 1A violation happening here.
Every day the US government takes more steps to erode our civil rights, even against the largest companies in the world. Someone needs to rein them in.
*The definition of terrorism depends on your jurisdiction.