Led by Fight for the Future, protesters will hold banners, signs, and display messages on their phones outside of Apple retail stores stores to protest its announced child porn scanning feature. And, according to Caitlin Seeley George, campaign director of Fight for the Future, they’ll also deliver thousands of petition signatures and give statements about why they oppose Apple’s plan.
About the protests
Despite Apple’s recent announcement that it would postpone the rollout of its scanning software, organizers are still pushing the company to permanently shelve its misguided plan.
Here’s a statement from George: Apple can’t just shove this horrible phone scan plan to the side in order to avoid bad press during its Apple Event. If Apple moves forward with installing this software it would be a total game changer—opening up the door to unprecedented surveillance and forcing the entire communications industry to follow suit. We can’t let this happen, which is why people are showing up to call out Apple’s hypocrisy and demand it put an end to this phone scan plan.
Fight for the Future director Evan Greer added: Let’s be perfectly clear: you can’t be a values-driven privacy-focused company and an aspiring monopoly with authoritarian policies at the same time. Apple’s proposal to forcibly install what amounts to malware on millions of people’s phones is just the latest misstep from a company that already has a dodgy track record when it comes to human rights. Apple’s glimmering reputation as the good guys of Silicon Valley is crumbling. If they truly care about the safety of our children, and ensuring they grow up in a future where basic rights are protected, Apple should be expanding and strengthening encryption on their devices, not undercutting it. Listen to security experts. Encrypt iCloud and fix the vulnerabilities in iMessage. Publicly commit to never implementing on-device content scanning.
You can find a list of the places the protests are planned by clicking here. Protests will start at 6 pm (local time).
About Apple’s postponement of its scanning software
On August 6, Apple previewed new child safety features coming to its various devices later this year. On September 3, Apple said it was delaying its controversial CSAM detection system and child safety features.
Not everyone is opposed to the plan. On September 9, it was reported that British government had expressed support for Apple’s delayed CSAM scanning plans.
“It is utterly appalling to know that the sexual abuse of children is incited, organized, and celebrated online. Child abusers share photos and videos of their abhorrent crimes, as well as luring children they find online into sending indecent images of themselves,” Home Secretary Pritio Patel said in a press release. “It is devastating for those it hurts and happens on a vast and growing scale. Last year, global technology companies identified and reported 21 million instances of child sexual abuse.”
Terrible headline. This is about protecting privacy, not child porn.