Controversy Over iPhone Scanning Plan
In 2021, Apple faced backlash over its plan to scan iPhones for child sexual abuse materials. The company eventually abandoned the plan due to concerns from privacy experts about potential government abuse.
Renewed Criticism and Advertising Campaign
Now, child safety advocates and activist investors are calling on Apple to take stronger measures to protect children from online abuse. The Heat Initiative, a child advocacy group, has raised $2 million for a national advertising campaign urging Apple to detect, report, and remove harmful content from iCloud.
Caught Between Child Safety and Privacy Promises
Apple finds itself caught between the demands of child safety groups and privacy experts. As a company that champions privacy, Apple must balance its promise of secure devices with the need to combat the sharing of child sexual abuse imagery.
Shareholder Proposal for Transparency
A group of investors with nearly $1 trillion in assets has called on Apple to publicly report the number of abusive images it detects across its devices and services. Two of these investors plan to submit a shareholder proposal to require Apple to provide a detailed report on the effectiveness of its safety tools.
Apple's Response and Safety Measures
Apple has responded to child safety advocates and investors. The company defended its decision not to scan iCloud, citing concerns about compromising user privacy and the potential for bulk surveillance. Apple has implemented a default feature for child accounts that warns against sending or receiving explicit images, aiming to prevent the creation of new abusive content.
Miscommunication and Past Abandonment
In the past, Apple discreetly abandoned its plan to scan iCloud, catching child safety groups off guard. The company also failed to effectively communicate its image hash technology, leading to skepticism from privacy experts and concerns about government abuse.
Global Pressure and Reporting
Governments worldwide are pressuring Apple to take action against abusive content. In the US, Apple made 121 reports in 2021 to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Comparatively, Google made 875,783 reports and Facebook made 22 million. However, these reports don't always accurately reflect abusive material, with some cases involving non-criminal images reported by parents.
Advertising Blitz and Campaign Goals
The Heat Initiative plans to launch a comprehensive advertising campaign ahead of Apple's annual iPhone unveiling. Led by Sarah Gardner, the group aims to continue its efforts until Apple changes its policy. The campaign targets Apple customers and employees, and a dedicated website will document law enforcement cases involving iCloud.
Kashmir Hill contributed reporting.
Tripp Mickle, a technology reporter based in San Francisco, covers Apple and other companies. He previously reported on Apple, Google, bourbon, and beer during his time at The Wall Street Journal.
