That sentence is wrong. It simply isn't accurate of the current system. It relies on future changes to the system, not just changes to a database. The iMessage

That sentence is wrong. It simply isn't accurate of the current system. It relies on future changes to the system, not just changes to a database. The iMessage feature is not a database comparison system, it's to keep kids from getting/receiving nudes unexpectedly – and it works based on classifying those images. I don't dispute this is a slippery slope - one could imagine that a government requires Apple to modify it's classification system. However, that would presumably require a software update since it happens on device.