[avianlyric]

> Yet. Once it's on the device, it's a MUCH smaller step to use it in other ways

We crossed this bridge a long time ago. Apple already has on device Neural Nets processing everyone one of your on device photos. That’s what powers spotlight search and “photo memories”.

Simple fact of the matter is that this isn’t the top of some slippery slope, it’s half way down one. A slope we started down when we figured out how to put powerful Neural Nets on mobile devices in people’s pockets.

> Until it's not. Once again, once it's in place, it's a lot easier for malevolent actors (governments) to force it to be used other ways.

Which is why Apples current solution makes it cryptography impossible to decrypt photos until a large enough number of suspect photos have been uploaded.

[trangus_1985]

The key difference, of course, is that when the neural network classifies certain types of content, it doesn't forward it to a centralized server "for review"

[sharken]

And depending on that review you could find yourself on the other end of some "questioning" from law enforcement.

Yes, you might laugh and say that won't happen, but on-device scanning is the first step.

In less trustworthy countries it's not that farfetched to imagine what this can be used for.

So Apple must back down now or face the consequences in the form of loss of reputation and eventually loss of sales.