You begin your comment by addressing the failings of “technically sophisticated critics” but then you go on to list a number of legal and policy questions that

You begin your comment by addressing the failings of “technically sophisticated critics” but then you go on to list a number of legal and policy questions that have very little to do with technology. As a computer scientist I can’t tell you with precision exactly what legal and extra-legal mechanisms could be used to compel Apple; what I can tell you is that Apple’s technology does not prevent that compulsion. I can only assume you meant “technical critics” in some broader sense that doesn’t include technologists. Regarding extra-legal compulsion, the only thing I can point out is that there is no US law on the books that requires Apple to deploy this on-device scanning system. But Apple is deploying it anyway. If you speak to anyone at Apple off the books they’ll tell you bluntly that they’re doing this to satisfy pressure from law enforcement and regulators (along these lines [0].) So the existence of powerful extra-legal compulsion is not debatable. The question is how far it might extend? Only Apple can answer that question, not “technical critics.” Unfortunately Apple’s public communication has been to mostly avoid addressing the existence of the pressure at all, even though everyone agrees it exists in some form. [0] https://www.google.com/amp/s/mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKBN1ZK1CT https://www.google.com/amp/s/mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/...