Private Relay: a VPN by the same guys who just announced they will check any photo we take against an intransparent blacklist they control. Sure, lets route all other traffic through them as well…
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iOS 15 Privacy Guide: Private Relay, Hide My Email, Mail Privacy Protection, App Reports and More
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All these wonderful things sound so hollow now 
I had never expected Apple to be acting as an adjunct of state surveillance.
To me this seems like apple is appeasing the government by giving a little access into everybody’s devices. (We know that appeasement only whets the appetite of the party being temporarily appeased.)
But what they are doing is a proof of concept for any kind of scanning that any kind of government squeezes Apple for. (How does Apple not get this?)
And what Apple are doing is crapping on their reputation as the defender of privacy. (If they implement this we will never be able to trust Apple to keep the contents of our devices private ever again.)
Whoever would have thought that Apple would have turned out to be Big Brother?
To me this seems like apple is appeasing the government by giving a little access into everybody’s devices. (We know that appeasement only whets the appetite of the party being temporarily appeased.)
But what they are doing is a proof of concept for any kind of scanning that any kind of government squeezes Apple for. (How does Apple not get this?)
And what Apple are doing is crapping on their reputation as the defender of privacy. (If they implement this we will never be able to trust Apple to keep the contents of our devices private ever again.)
Whoever would have thought that Apple would have turned out to be Big Brother?
I think it is terribly backward for Apple to detect crime after it has happened. By the time they have done all that hashing and verifying and reporting, many children have already been hurt.
Presumably predators and other criminals display certain patterns of behavior before and during their crimes. Apple should take SIRI (now Seriously Invasive Rectal Insertion) to the next level and make it detect patterns of motion, interests and preferences (web sites, reading materials, pictures, length of time spent on each item, etc.), facial expressions when taking selfies and video calls, and content of texts, emails, and conversations -- yes, "hash" everything to death so that you can still call yourself a privacy company -- and then report those scumbags to the relevant agencies before they can commit the crime. The data collected by SIRI would be the evidence in court to convict the people, showing that they will indeed commit those crimes in the future.
Then we will finally end up with the glorious Minority Report scenario that we have desperately longed for. False positive you say? Come on, you're arguing just to be arguing. You are so ignorant. You must not understand software engineering. There's less than one in a trillion trillion trillion chance. SIRI doesn't see what you intend to do, only what you will do. And suppose it really happens to you, all you have to be is Tom Cruise.
Think different.
Presumably predators and other criminals display certain patterns of behavior before and during their crimes. Apple should take SIRI (now Seriously Invasive Rectal Insertion) to the next level and make it detect patterns of motion, interests and preferences (web sites, reading materials, pictures, length of time spent on each item, etc.), facial expressions when taking selfies and video calls, and content of texts, emails, and conversations -- yes, "hash" everything to death so that you can still call yourself a privacy company -- and then report those scumbags to the relevant agencies before they can commit the crime. The data collected by SIRI would be the evidence in court to convict the people, showing that they will indeed commit those crimes in the future.
Then we will finally end up with the glorious Minority Report scenario that we have desperately longed for. False positive you say? Come on, you're arguing just to be arguing. You are so ignorant. You must not understand software engineering. There's less than one in a trillion trillion trillion chance. SIRI doesn't see what you intend to do, only what you will do. And suppose it really happens to you, all you have to be is Tom Cruise.
Think different.
I no longer trust Apple.
This now reads like, "we will log all the websites you visit and if our AI thinks you are suspicious, we will forward your information to law enforcement."
This now reads like, "we will log all the websites you visit and if our AI thinks you are suspicious, we will forward your information to law enforcement."
Privacy guide lesson number one: DONT TAKE PHOTOS OF YOUR LITTLE BABY IN A POOL!
Imagine how many children they'd save if they read all your texts and emails and listen to your conversations to detect if you are planning child abuse, human trafficking, violent crimes, etc. But don't worry they'll hash everything.
I appreciate the response, but frankly I’m not sure if I can trust it. The piece begins with an extremely positive spin for Apple’s privacy features, saying “iOS 15 is no exception” to Apple’s continued efforts to improve privacy and make the devices more secure. But with yesterday’s news.. that is now at the very least debatable.
Yes, you include a mention of the controversy surrounding the specific features brought to light yesterday, but that’s buried behind nearly 3000 words praising Apple for the previously announced, uncontroversial features.
I’m not surprised that this content was written and prepared previous to yesterday’s news. What does surprise me is the timing of it’s publication. I continue to believe that it’s either poor timing or meant to deflect from the negative news by pushing 3000 words of positive spin up to the top.
This is followed by MacRumors seemingly holding back from publishing anything on the news yesterday until Apple prepared their response/announcement. Many other news providers noted the Financial Times piece hours earlier. MacRumors tends to be extremely quick to share any sort of Apple news.. so it adds to my suspicion that either this messaging is published in coordination with Apple or that MacRumors is simply showing it’s bias towards Apple. I hope I’m wrong in either case.. and I would very much appreciate a further response to these observations.
It's helpful to law enforcement to have a list of all the websites you visited (if you are a bad person). You're not a bad person, are you?
stop spreading this lie.
The only was it can check for hashes is by scanning the images. How else is the hash generated? Not only that... Its not looking for a 1:1 hash. Its looking for images that are similar to know child porn. And even then, its not known if the checks are really for kiddy porn because apple wont let anyone audit the datebase.
you start eliminating apple services to use and then it begs the question... why are we using apple at all?
I agree. I'm actually thinking I should avoid features like Hide My Email because it appears Apple is going to be under pressure to monitor these services also. Private Relay seems like a big risk too because even though they claim it is sent through multiple relays they could easily be adding "safety vouchers" to Private Relay requests that go to sites they deem high security risks.
Well, since I still have a functioning iPhone and Macintosh I'm planning on switching as many services as I can to separate parties whenever possible so that if I decide to go get a Pixel outfitted with GrapheneOS.org it will be less painful to do so when my iPhone finally needs a new battery, which should probably be sometime this year.
Kind of like the gradual switch from Intel to M1 chips, I plan on doing a gradual shift away from Apple services so that I can bail when the time is right. It may take me a while to switch, but at least I know I have until iOS14 is no longer supported.
It’s sad really, I have no reason to stick to iOS anymore. Might be time to try something new.
Same here. It’s funny.. two days ago, I had no issue with the idea of Apple’s Hide My Email making it more difficult to ever move away from Apple. But now, I’m suddenly much more averse to any Apple lock in. This includes services such as Sign In with Apple which I don’t have as much of a direct concern over privacy.. but simply regret that my use of it makes it more difficult to move away, if I ever choose to.
If there are more like you and I, it just goes to show how fragile Apple’s relationship with its customers can be.
Same boat. I’ve got a ton of Apple gear and have been a big fan since I got an iMac in 1999. But ugh…I’m just gutted. So disappointed.
Looks like I won’t be using iOS 15. They sneak in scanning your phone of CP, are they going to compensate me for the extra power it uses while it’s spying on my phone?
Soon iPhone feature:
Always Camera On and Listening, we will keep listen and watch you for your child safety with privacy in mind. With our machine learning, we can detect before sex happens, we will record it and check the flagged recording with our amazing expert people. We will call authorities if needed.
If you're nothing to hide don't be afraid.
Always Camera On and Listening, we will keep listen and watch you for your child safety with privacy in mind. With our machine learning, we can detect before sex happens, we will record it and check the flagged recording with our amazing expert people. We will call authorities if needed.
If you're nothing to hide don't be afraid.
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By no means suggesting that it's on the same level with your experience...but what Apple is doing and about to do feels like a form of molestation. It is as if to catch a predator, they must become the biggest predator. Apple themselves has stated that the iPhone is a very "personal" device. So it's like they're technologically molesting a billion souls from deep inside. SIRI is now Seriously Invasive Rectal Insertion.
This article feels like someone from Apple PR reached out to MR given the negative press from yesterday and asked them to run this fluff piece.
I have no issue with CSAM but I have issues with the fact that China is likely going to tell Apple that if they want to play in China, they need to use CSAM but with CCP databases. And Apple will bend because they always have with China. It's a slippery slope.
I have no issue with CSAM but I have issues with the fact that China is likely going to tell Apple that if they want to play in China, they need to use CSAM but with CCP databases. And Apple will bend because they always have with China. It's a slippery slope.
This essentially deputizes Apple who, as a private company, is under no obligation to get a search warrant (unlike the actual government) so long as they can spin it as something good. It’s a way for the government to get around the 4th amendment.
So that begs the question… is storing pictures in iCloud is the only reason you use the Apple ecosystem?
Burner email is not new. Outlook has been offering alias for ages, and I’ve been using it for a while. Gmail has something similar as well, although it’s much more limited (many sites cannot accept email address with a + sign).
Folks, do remember that Apple did say that iOS 14 will still be supported alongside iOS 15. So there’s no real issue if you don’t want to upgrade to iOS 15. Maybe the more people sticking on iOS 14 might send a message to Apple.
Folks, do remember that Apple did say that iOS 14 will still be supported alongside iOS 15. So there’s no real issue if you don’t want to upgrade to iOS 15. Maybe the more people sticking on iOS 14 might send a message to Apple.
Yeah, after the recent news, this private relay suddenly becomes a scarier thing.