Apple thought a little too different

[Bloomberg]( Hi there, it’s Tae from the Bloomberg Opinion team. I tried to parse Apple’s flawed proposal to combat child porn, but first… Today’s top tech news: - REvil, a notorious Russian hacking collective, [reappeared]( - The CEO of a video game publisher [was ousted]( over his support of the Texas anti-abortion law - China barred education companies from [enrolling new students or taking fees]( Too clever Apple Inc.’s plan to scan iPhones for child-abuse images is past the point of repair. A complete overhaul is in order. The company said last Friday that it will [delay implementation]( of the software, [following a backlash]( from privacy groups, security experts and many customers. Apple said it’ll spend a few months taking in additional feedback to make improvements “before releasing these critically important” features. The statement seems to suggest Apple will make minor adjustments and then roll out something similar to its current proposal. At this point, though, Apple should probably recognize that anything designed to examine the personal contents of people’s phones is a lost cause. First, let’s look at the details. After facing pressure from governments to do more to battle child pornography and exploitation, [Apple unveiled its plan]( last month to offer three new tools. They included the ability for parents to be notified when their children receive or send explicit photos over Apple Messages, the option to report child abuse using the Siri voice assistant and a new system to detect Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) stored in users’ iCloud photo libraries. The last measure received the harshest criticism from privacy advocates. Rather than scanning photos after they are uploaded to cloud services, Apple created an elaborate new system that looks at images on a customer’s device. For any iCloud Photos user, the software would compare what is essentially the digital fingerprint of each image to databases of known illegal photos on the iPhone itself. Once a number threshold of matches is met, Apple would review each incident manually and then, if valid, report it to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, an organization that works with U.S. law enforcement agencies. While it may be [technically accurate]( that Apple’s on-device matching technique is more secure and privacy-conscious, convincing people this is the case has proven extremely difficult. I consider myself to be technically proficient, but I had to read Apple’s [12-page documentation]( multiple times to get a sense of how it all works. The average person isn’t going to make the effort to understand the nuances. After the recent public debate, the concept of scanning someone’s personal device—no matter how ingenious the method—has become repellent. Fight for the Future, a digital rights advocacy group, is [organizing protests]( outside of Apple Stores next week to call for the permanent cancellation of the program, citing privacy concerns. Then there is the slippery slope argument. Privacy groups are also worried once the technology for fingerprinting CSAM photos is set up, authoritarian governments may ask for surveillance of other types of content on personal devices. These concerns are legitimate. While Apple has explicitly said it would refuse such requests, what happens when there is a court order or legislation that requires it? Once the system is implemented, it opens the door for misuse. That is why the company should instead just copy the practices of its main technology rivals. [Facebook Inc.](, Alphabet Inc.’s [Google]( and Microsoft Corp. scan for CSAM photos after they’re uploaded. It’s not a perfect solution. Apple would need to look through more photos instead of a small subset. But it is easier for users to accept the idea that images sent for storage on the internet may get examined for illegal content. Sometimes companies can be too clever for their own good. The sooner Apple realizes this public relations battle is unwinnable, the better. Otherwise, fear of corporate surveillance may dominate the conversation surrounding iPhones for a long time. —[Tae Kim](mailto:tkim426@bloomberg.net) If you read one thing A new company in Germany called Vay plans to provide a cheaper alternative to Uber that uses [remote-controlled cars](. The service will let customers drive themselves to their desired destination and then get out, leaving it to a human driver miles away to either park the vehicle or steer it to the next client. Sponsored Content Interrupt Ransomware, Not Your Business Powered by Autonomous Cyber AI, Darktrace neutralizes ransomware before it spreads. Only malicious activity is interrupted, allowing normal business operations to continue.  [Protect your organization >]( Darktrace What else you need to know Apple will unveil new iPhones next Tuesday. The company has [a bunch of products lined up for the fall](. A Texas startup said it’s opening an office out of state, saying the anti-abortion law is impeding recruitment efforts. “We’ve come to the conclusion after talking to lots of candidates that they want to join Solugen, but [they don’t feel comfortable coming to Texas](,” the company said. Intel will dedicate a plant in Ireland to the production of automotive chips. The car industry is facing a [severe shortage of semiconductors](. Beijing said it’s not seeking a stake in Didi, [contradicting a report]( that the government would take control of the ride-hailing company. Follow Us More from Bloomberg Dig gadgets or video games? [Sign up for Power On]( to get Apple scoops, consumer tech news and more in your inbox on Sundays. 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