Apple employees express concern over new child safety tools

Apple employees are voicing concern over the company's new child safety features set to debut with iOS 15 this fall, with some saying the decision to roll out such tools could tarnish Apple's reputation as a bastion of user privacy.

OctoMonkey

Ofer said:

Sadly, even with this new tool, Apple is still the best game in town as far as user privacy is concerned. I’m a big fan of the company and have been using their products since the very first computer I’ve owned (anyone remember the Apple IIgs?). However, if they continue in this trajectory, I may have to start researching other options.

Yes, I remember the IIgs, still have one...  as well as my first Macintosh (a platinum Plus I purchased new back in '87).

Sadly, due to this CSAM scanning, I will almost certainly be moving away from Apple.  I have already disabled the auto-upgrade on our dozen, or so, iOS based devices.  When iOS 15 comes out, that will be the end of updates for us.  Since we don't use iCloud and rarely text, this "feature" would have little impact on us.  However, the very notion that a company (any company) believes it has the right to place what amounts to spyware on devices I own is completely unacceptable!  If this means eventually going back to a "dumb" phone, then so be it.  Even if Apple were to state it will not include this "feature", I would probably not trust them enough to believe them...  perhaps they would just do it anyway without telling anybody.

In fairness, I grew up consuming more than my fair share of dystopian novels and movies which might be influencing my position a bit.  :-)