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Apple took part in a discussion about data protection at this year's Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas. The company confirmed that it conducts a kind of pre-screening of user content in iCloud. But there is a specific reason for this - child abuse.
Apple is also taking action against illegal user content such as child abuse. Photos and videos are checked before being uploaded to iCloud. This was confirmed by Apple's data protection chief - Jane Horvath - during a discussion on data protection, privacy and encryption. Checking data for illegal content is important - but encryption does not have to suffer for this, which would be the wrong approach, according to Horvath. Apple, on the other hand, uses special techniques to find child pornography in iCloud. Horvath explained the process as follows:
Our systems use electronic signatures – similar to spam filters for emails – to detect suspected child abuse.
If suspicious material is discovered, an individual check is carried out. If a match is found, the respective account is blocked and reported to the authorities. But what technology is used? This question remains unanswered. The PhotoDNA tool may be used. This allows content to be compared fully automatically and in encrypted form with a central database for child pornography.
Can be used with services with end-to-end encryption
As has now become known, such tools could also be used in the future for services with end-to-end encryption – whether Apple already subjects iMessage content to such a review is unknown. In any case, the general privacy policy was updated on December 31, 2019. Under the heading "How we use personal data," it states the following:
Personal information also helps us create, develop, deliver, provide and improve our products, services, content and advertising, facilitate lost device tracking and combat fraud. We may also use your personal information for account and network security purposes, including protecting our services for the benefit of all users and pre-screening and scanning uploaded content for potentially illegal content, including material related to the sexual exploitation of children. (Photo by Thufir / Bigstockphoto)
