What does implementing CSAM Detection mean for the average user?

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Modern devices are so complex that it’s not easy to determine how secure they really are—that is, how well they deliver on the manufacturer’s promises. All most of us can do is trust—or distrust—the company based on its reputation.

However, it’s important to remember this key point: CSAM Detection only works if users upload photos to iCloud. Apple’s iceland mobile database was deliberate and anticipated some of the objections to the technology. If you don’t upload photos to the cloud, nothing will be uploaded anywhere.

You may remember the notorious conflict between Apple and the FBI in 2016, when the FBI asked Apple for help unlocking an iPhone 5C that belonged to a mass shooter in San Bernardino, California. The FBI wanted Apple to write software that would allow the FBI to bypass the phone's passcode protection.

The company, recognizing that complying could result in unlocking not only the shooter’s phone but anyone else’s, refused. The FBI backed down and eventually hacked the device with outside help, exploiting vulnerabilities in the software, and Apple maintained its reputation as a company that fights for the rights of its customers .

However, the story isn’t quite that simple. Apple handed over a copy of the iCloud data. In fact, the company has access to virtually all user data uploaded to the cloud. Some, like keychain passwords and payment information, is stored using end-to-end encryption, but most of the information is encrypted only to protect against unauthorized access —namely, a hack of the company’s servers. That means the company can decrypt the data.

The implications are perhaps the most interesting twist in the CSAM detection story. The company could, for example, simply scan all the images in iCloud Photos (as Facebook, Google, and many other cloud service providers do ). Apple has come up with a more elegant mechanism that would help fend off accusations of mass surveillance of users, but instead has drawn even more criticism — scanning users’ devices.

Ultimately, the uproar hardly changes anything for the average user. If you’re concerned about protecting your data, you should look at any cloud service with a critical eye. Data that you store solely on your device is still safe. Apple’s recent actions have sown well-founded doubts. Whether the company will continue down this path remains an open question.