Apple Has 'Declared War' On Your Privacy

Privacy whistleblower Edward Snowden has criticized Apple Inc.’s ($AAPL@US) plan to scan users’ iPhones for child sexual abuse material (CSAM), saying that the tech giant has “declared war” on users’ privacy. In his Continuing Ed blog on Substack, Snowden said, “Apple’s new system… will permanently redefine what belongs to you and what belongs to them.” Snowden noted that a user’s iPhone will now perform searches on behalf of Apple even before the images reach the iCloud servers and will notify law enforcement if enough “forbidden content” is discovered. Security experts and privacy experts are worried that the new technology could eventually be expanded to scan phones for other prohibited content. It could also be used by authoritarian governments to spy on dissidents and protestors.