How to Stop Apple From Scanning Photos? – Guide
Many cyber security experts reacted negatively to an Apple ad that aired during the Super Bowl. Some users agreed, while others said the ad ignored how widespread the practice of digitizing image databases is. However, many of the arguments against Apple’s privacy protections are ignoring how widespread these technologies are and ignoring the fact that Apple is not abandoning its privacy protections. ..
Experts explain Apple’s controversial new plan to scan your iPhone photos — and what it could mean for your privacy.
Apple has been touting its high-level user privacy standards for years, but its new plan to scan iPhone photos for child sexual abuse (CSAM) material is raising alarms in the tech world. While everyone agrees on the importance of cracking down on sexually explicit content involving children, privacy experts warn that Apple’s photo scanning can have its downsides. For one, it could lead to the discovery of images of children that have not been reported to Apple yet. Additionally, it could lead to Apple being forced to release more information about how it plans to use this data in order to protect users’ privacy.
This new CSAM policy can lead to many unintended consequences, said Karim Hijazi, CEO of cybersecurity firm Prevailion. This is just one of the many ways our privacy is being eroded on a daily basis.
What is Apple doing?
Apple will use its child safety detection technology in the iOS 15 update for three new features. The first is a parental control feature which, when activated, checks photos in the Kids Messages app and send notifications if it detects explicit content. The second is a feature that checks, flags, and reports photos in iCloud storage for containing known child sexual abuse material and third party feature notifies users when they use Siri or the search bar to search for child abuse images. ..
The iPhone has been considered one of the safest phones, but the second feature on this list - which allows the phone to track its user’s location - is of particular concern to privacy experts like Hijazi. ..
How will this new feature work?
Apple’s CSAM detection technology will scan an image in your iCloud account and compare it to known child sexual abuse image codes, which are stored in a database by child safety organizations. If it is determined to be CSAM, Apple will terminate your account and report you to NCMEC and legal authorities.
Apple has announced that its new facial recognition system will be scanning photos of children to identify those that may have been taken inappropriately. The company says that the system is not just looking for pictures of kids, but for those that match known and validated images of child sex in at least two databases of child safety organizations. ..
Why is Apple scanning photos?
Apple is increasing its efforts to detect and flag sexually explicit content involving children on its devices. This new photo-scanning technology could be one of the top security threats for smartphones. ..
Why are people worried?
Apple’s new CSAM detection system could backfire, experts say. Many fear that Apple’s scanning of photos could lead to abuse by evildoers such as hackers, governments and even Apple itself. “Apple has basically created a bypass to its end-to-end encryption that it – or anyone who authorizes it – can use to gain access to a person’s device without their permission and spy on its content,” says Hijazi. ..
Apple has a new security feature that ensures that no one listens to your messages. But using Apple’s new CSAM technology, someone — hackers or rogue Apple employees, for example — could access and spy on users’ photos.
Apple has a feature that can search for other types of material on users’ devices, such as political content or things that are critical of a repressive government like China or Iran. In response to these criticisms, Apple issued a statement reassuring users that it would “refuse such demands” from governments.
Are there other risks?
Apple’s photo-scanning technology can confuse harmless photos with sexually explicit content, known as false positives. This can make users’ devices and information more vulnerable, and can be a problem for people who want to keep their privacy.
Apple’s CSAM scanning algorithm has been found to be inaccurate in recognizing differences between two photos, raising concerns that the algorithm may be false positives. This finding raises privacy concerns for those who use Apple’s scanner, as well as researchers who test the algorithm.
For your safety, it is important to know that your iPhone can also get viruses. Follow these simple steps to keep yourself safe: ..
Is there a way to cancel?
Apple is introducing a new feature in its iOS 11 update that will scan photos on your device. If you don’t want Apple to scan your photos, you can disable iCloud storage for them by going to Settings and selecting iCloud.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Under “General,” tap “Photos.”
- Tap the “Photos” button at the bottom of the screen.
- Under “Photos & Camera,” tap “Disable iCloud Photos.”
- Confirm your decision by tapping “Disable.” ..
Scroll down to “Mail” and tap it. On the “Mail” screen, you’ll see a list of your email addresses. To add an email address, tap the “+” button at the bottom of the list and enter the address. To delete an email address, tap the “-” button at the bottom of the list and enter the address. ..
Photos of people and places in my life.
Disable iCloud Photos on your Apple device.
Tap Download Photos & Videos to download photos and videos from your iCloud photo library to your device.
- Open the iCloud Preferences and select the “Photos” tab.
- Scroll down to the bottom and select “Disable iCloud Photos.”
I am writing about the presidential election in the United States.
To turn off the light, tap the slider. ..
Hamerstone suggests that you keep your iPhone photos on your home computer or pen drive to protect your privacy. If you decide to use Apple’s iCloud despite the risks, you should know how secure iCloud really is before storing your data.
How else can I protect my privacy?
Apple’s “CSAM Detection” feature is not the only security threat lurking on your iPhone, according to Hijazi. “If you’re concerned about your privacy, you should assume that any iOS device is vulnerable to end-to-end encryption bypasses and full access to photos,” he says. “There is no privacy online or on any connected device, and you must always assume that is the case and behave accordingly.” ..
Hamerstone recommends using strong passwords and privacy tools to protect your accounts, such as encryption and limiting which apps you download to your iPhone. Additionally, he suggests checking your phone for apps that can spy on you and learn how to permanently delete apps.
Final note
How to Stop Apple from Scanning Photos If you’re like most people, you probably take photos and videos of your loved ones and memories every day. But did you know that Apple is constantly scanning these images and videos for potential use in their products? If you don’t want your photos or videos scanned and used in Apple’s products, there are a few things you can do to stop them. Here are some tips:
- Disable iCloud Photo Library: This is the service that stores all of your photos and videos in one place. If you disable iCloud Photo Library, Apple won’t be able to scan any of these images or videos for use in their products.
- Delete Photos and Videos: Once you’ve disabled iCloud Photo Library, delete all of the pictures and videos that were stored there. This will stop Apple from scanning them for potential use in their products.
- Use a Third-Party Image Editor: Another way to stop Apple from scanning your photos and videos is to use a third-party image editor such as Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator. These editors can help you edit your photos and videos so that they’re not scanned for potential use by Apple.
