Apple caused a sensation last summer with the announcement of a photo scanner for iOS. The technology is intended to compare images on the devices with a database of known child pornographic material. The aim is to make a contribution to more safety for children. Now the company has removed all references to the technology from its website.
But that doesn’t mean that Apple is completely crushing the project. As early as September, in response to the strong criticism, it was announced that they would take a few months to evaluate feedback. Compared to “The Verge” an Apple spokesman said that nothing has changed.
New Apple feature: data protectionists criticize the plans
After the announcement, there was a storm of indignation about the planned function. Consumer advocates warn of numerous false hits by the system. It is feared that because of the sheer number of Apple devices, innocent citizens could often come under suspicion of having child abuse images.
Experience shows that in such a case, a suspicion that has become known is often sufficient to promote a person into social marginalization. Apple replied that the function was designed to be particularly privacy-friendly.
So far it is not known what the US company specifically intends to do to avoid such false suspicions. It is also unclear whether the feature will actually come in this form and, if so, when. The removal of all references to the website could indicate a major overhaul of the system.