[bogwog]

Serious question: why did Apple bother making that announcement at all? I can't imagine they're naive enough to think it would be good press for them?

They could have done this quietly without telling anyone, maybe with a vaguely-worded update to the terms of service for the next mandatory iOS update that nobody reads anyways.

[Zealotux]

Hiding such a massive thing in a quiet update would have generated a much larger shitstorm, I don't know if the internal memo I've read is legit but by the look of it: Apple made its calculations and decided it was more interesting to release it this way.

[heavyset_go]

> Serious question: why did Apple bother making that announcement at all? I can't imagine they're naive enough to think it would be good press for them?

Because they are proud of it.

I think for some people, this was a feel good project. I know I'd feel better about working for a company that profits from forced labor[1] and lobbies to water down legislation against forced labor[2] if I was working to help children there.

Also, who wouldn't want to stop CSAM distribution? They probably thought dissent would be shamed and outnumbered.

[1] https://www.theverge.com/2021/5/10/22428899/apple-suppliers-...

[2] https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/11/20/apple-u...