Yeah, I think this is what freaked everyone out, but it's pretty clear the intention of on-device scanning was that it would work even if they had client-side e

Yeah, I think this is what freaked everyone out, but it's pretty clear the intention of on-device scanning was that it would work even if they had client-side encryption of photos before upload . The whole point of the protocol (as described in the Apple whitepaper) is to allow clients to attest to perceptual hash matches without the server having access to the plaintext. So, the irony of all of this is that the Apple design is effectively more private than the status quo, but everyone freaks out about it.