Apple set to update iOS with tools to help combat child sexual abuse

Published August 13, 2021 3:00am ET



A new endeavor by Apple to police the presence of child sexual abuse on its hosting platforms has drawn a lot of criticism from privacy advocates.

Apple announced plans to begin scanning both the iCloud and Apple iPhones for images and photos that may include evidence of child sexual abuse. The versions of iOS and iPadOS will consist of “new cryptography applications to help limit the spread of [child sexual abuse material] online while designing for user privacy.” The most notable expression of this endeavor will be new protocols designed for Messages and iCloud Photos alongside Siri and Search.

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