Apple will not implement the iPhone scan plan right now

It was said that the tool would be released by the end of this year. But recently they have postponed that plan. Now it will come ‘too late’.

Apple announced the new decision after intense criticism. Apple's decision was strongly criticized by privacy advocates and other rights activists. The fear was that on-device tracking would create a dangerous precedent. Apple recently said it had taken cognizance of the negative feedback and was reconsidering the whole thing.

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There were also concerns that the system could be used by an authoritarian government, the BBC reports.

Craig Federighi, Apple's chief software officer, said that Apple would not scan a US user's iPhone in the same way as a scan.

The technology giant in the US originally planned to scan images before uploading them to iCloud Photos using NeuralHash technology. In such scanning, instead of looking at the picture at all, the company would scan the numeric code in it.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has a database of child abuse images, where the organization stores images in numeric codes or hashes.

Apple thought of matching the numeric code of the database with the numeric code of the image on its device. He also said that if the numeric code of a photo matches the database, the person will disable the account at the end of the review or take necessary steps to inform the law enforcement agency.

The name 'The Electronic Frontiers Foundation' is one of the strongest questioners in this regard. One of the company's petitions was signed by 25,000 customers opposing Apple's move.

Apple has always advocated for privacy and end-to-end encryption. Apple also has an example of running a business campaign mentioning privacy issues.

All Apple stores and activities in China are closed

Initially, the US technology giant announced that it would suspend all activities in the country until February 9. Apple shut down three retailers last week. However, the company has decided that the number of coronavirus cases in the country is increasing at an alarming rate this week.

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Apple said in a statement that it had decided to close all stores and activities in China for the safety of workers, following the latest warnings and advice from medical experts. Apple has also taken steps to close all corporate offices and call centers in China as a first step. However, the final decision on the reopening of retail outlets is expected to come soon.

As the coronavirus spreads rapidly in China, various technology companies have advised their employees to stay at home as part of precautionary measures. In addition, multinational technology companies such as Apple have banned employees from traveling to China.

Apple is still dependent on China for iPhone production. Many of Apple's suppliers are located in Hubei Province.

Apple's chief executive officer (CEO) Tim Cook said they were working on various plans to address the disruption. The company is working to ensure that even if production is disrupted, it does not have to incur losses.

Posted with STEMGeeks