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There are two different "features" being implemented - Messages scanning for minors on a family plan (which can be turned off) and iCloud Photo scanning (which

There are two different "features" being implemented - Messages scanning for minors on a family plan (which can be turned off) and iCloud Photo scanning (which can't be turned off, as far as I know). So no, you can't just turn it off.

CubsFan1060 5y ago
Yes, it can be turned off. https://www.macrumors.com/2021/08/05/apple-csam-detection-disabled-icloud-photos/ https://www.macrumors.com/2021/08/05/apple-csam-detection-di...
- petersellers 5y ago
  Only if you disable iCloud photos completely. So no, you cannot turn off the feature unless you stop using iCloud photos.
  - CubsFan1060 5y ago
    Correct. I'm not sure how that's a distinction from "you can't turn it off" though. I believe they've been doing this scan server-side for quite some time already.
    - petersellers 5y ago
      Here's the distinction: I used to be able to use iCloud photos without having my photos scanned, and now I can't. So I have to make a choice of either dropping iCloud photos completely or submit to having all of my photos scanned. I don't think they have been doing server-side scanning until now, hence the publicity. Do you have any evidence that shows they've been doing this before?
      - CubsFan1060 5y ago
        https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-7865979/Apple-reveals-scans-iCloud-photos-check-child-sexual-abuse-images.html https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-7865979/Appl... I wasn’t able to find the whole video though. No time to watch, but. https://www.ces.tech/Videos/2020/Chief-Privacy-Officer-Roundtable-What-Do-Consumer.aspx https://www.ces.tech/Videos/2020/Chief-Privacy-Officer-Round...
        petersellers 5y ago
        The article you linked makes a surprising claim, and it contradicts what the EFF said recently about this here - https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/08/apples-plan-think-different-about-encryption-opens-backdoor-your-private-life https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/08/apples-plan-think-diff... > Currently, although Apple holds the keys to view Photos stored in iCloud Photos, it does not scan these images It also seems weird that the EFF wouldn't have complained about this before if Apple was known to be doing server-side scanning for some time now. I also am not going to watch through an hour video, but I scanned the transcript and I didn't see anything that said that Apple currently (at that time) scanned content.
        CubsFan1060 5y ago
        I can’t find any articles about eff complaining about gmail, onedrive, or discord doing similar scanning either. All of those services (and more) do similar scans.
endisneigh 5y ago
But you can tho…
- petersellers 5y ago
  Please show evidence where the feature can be turned off (without having to completely disable iCloud photos).
  - endisneigh 5y ago
    You turn it off by turning off iCloud photos, I never claimed otherwise. If you don’t trust Apple why would you use iCloud anyway? Makes no sense.
    - petersellers 5y ago
      > You turn it off by turning off iCloud photos, I never claimed otherwise. I just have to point out the ridiculousness of this statement. With your logic any feature in any product can be "turned off" by not using the entire product at all. For example, the radio in my car sounds like shit, I guess I should just stop driving completely to avoid having to hear it. In reality, this new "feature" will be a requirement of using iCloud Photos. The feature itself cannot be turned off. If your answer is to stop using iCloud Photos, that is no help for the millions of people who currently use iCloud Photos. > If you don’t trust Apple why would you use iCloud anyway? Makes no sense. I've trusted Apple for a long time because I felt like they were one of the only companies that cared about consumer privacy. After these actions I am less convinced of that. I'm not sure why that stance is so surprising.
      - endisneigh 5y ago
        > In reality, this new "feature" will be a requirement of using iCloud Photos. The feature itself cannot be turned off. If your answer is to stop using iCloud Photos, that is no help for the millions of people who currently use iCloud Photos. iCloud Photos can be used on Windows, for example. This scanning only applies to iOS devices. You could use iCloud Photos and not be subject to the scanning. > I've trusted Apple for a long time because I felt like they were one of the only companies that cared about consumer privacy. After these actions I am less convinced of that. I'm not sure why that stance is so surprising. Nothing about what they're doing is contradictory with privacy beyond what they're already doing. The only reason they're even implementing it this way is because they do care about privacy. They could just not encrypt and scan on the server like Google, Microsoft, Dropbox, Box.com and more.

CubsFan1060 5y ago

Yes, it can be turned off. https://www.macrumors.com/2021/08/05/apple-csam-detection-disabled-icloud-photos/ https://www.macrumors.com/2021/08/05/apple-csam-detection-di...

petersellers 5y ago
Only if you disable iCloud photos completely. So no, you cannot turn off the feature unless you stop using iCloud photos.
- CubsFan1060 5y ago
  Correct. I'm not sure how that's a distinction from "you can't turn it off" though. I believe they've been doing this scan server-side for quite some time already.
  - petersellers 5y ago
    Here's the distinction: I used to be able to use iCloud photos without having my photos scanned, and now I can't. So I have to make a choice of either dropping iCloud photos completely or submit to having all of my photos scanned. I don't think they have been doing server-side scanning until now, hence the publicity. Do you have any evidence that shows they've been doing this before?
    - CubsFan1060 5y ago
      https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-7865979/Apple-reveals-scans-iCloud-photos-check-child-sexual-abuse-images.html https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-7865979/Appl... I wasn’t able to find the whole video though. No time to watch, but. https://www.ces.tech/Videos/2020/Chief-Privacy-Officer-Roundtable-What-Do-Consumer.aspx https://www.ces.tech/Videos/2020/Chief-Privacy-Officer-Round...
      - petersellers 5y ago
        The article you linked makes a surprising claim, and it contradicts what the EFF said recently about this here - https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/08/apples-plan-think-different-about-encryption-opens-backdoor-your-private-life https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/08/apples-plan-think-diff... > Currently, although Apple holds the keys to view Photos stored in iCloud Photos, it does not scan these images It also seems weird that the EFF wouldn't have complained about this before if Apple was known to be doing server-side scanning for some time now. I also am not going to watch through an hour video, but I scanned the transcript and I didn't see anything that said that Apple currently (at that time) scanned content.
        CubsFan1060 5y ago
        I can’t find any articles about eff complaining about gmail, onedrive, or discord doing similar scanning either. All of those services (and more) do similar scans.

endisneigh 5y ago

But you can tho…

petersellers 5y ago
Please show evidence where the feature can be turned off (without having to completely disable iCloud photos).
- endisneigh 5y ago
  You turn it off by turning off iCloud photos, I never claimed otherwise. If you don’t trust Apple why would you use iCloud anyway? Makes no sense.
  - petersellers 5y ago
    > You turn it off by turning off iCloud photos, I never claimed otherwise. I just have to point out the ridiculousness of this statement. With your logic any feature in any product can be "turned off" by not using the entire product at all. For example, the radio in my car sounds like shit, I guess I should just stop driving completely to avoid having to hear it. In reality, this new "feature" will be a requirement of using iCloud Photos. The feature itself cannot be turned off. If your answer is to stop using iCloud Photos, that is no help for the millions of people who currently use iCloud Photos. > If you don’t trust Apple why would you use iCloud anyway? Makes no sense. I've trusted Apple for a long time because I felt like they were one of the only companies that cared about consumer privacy. After these actions I am less convinced of that. I'm not sure why that stance is so surprising.
    - endisneigh 5y ago
      > In reality, this new "feature" will be a requirement of using iCloud Photos. The feature itself cannot be turned off. If your answer is to stop using iCloud Photos, that is no help for the millions of people who currently use iCloud Photos. iCloud Photos can be used on Windows, for example. This scanning only applies to iOS devices. You could use iCloud Photos and not be subject to the scanning. > I've trusted Apple for a long time because I felt like they were one of the only companies that cared about consumer privacy. After these actions I am less convinced of that. I'm not sure why that stance is so surprising. Nothing about what they're doing is contradictory with privacy beyond what they're already doing. The only reason they're even implementing it this way is because they do care about privacy. They could just not encrypt and scan on the server like Google, Microsoft, Dropbox, Box.com and more.