The problem with lines in the sand is that the next wave that comes along removes them.
In the end this solves nothing. The kiddie porn moves to private clouds, which any idiot can put up and secure with modern platforms like NextCloud and its ilk (it took me about half an hour to get mine up and running via Unraid - encrypted with two-factor auth and everything), and Apple sends the message that it's willing to allow the government to use anything you put on their platform as evidence against you for any offense that their moral compass sways past at any given moment. Apple sells music and moivies, will they let the RIAA/MPAA scan everyone's storage for "pirated" content next?
I'd suggest everyone begin looking at setting up a NextCloud instance of their own at this point - it's not hard or even that expensive. Between Google willing to use anything they that you put in their storage to farm info about you and Apple apparently willing to do the same should the whim hit them, hosting your own storage is clearly the best way to go from here on out. At least it's a good time for all of this, with such great platforms like it and DuckDuckGo available to enhance your privacy.
And then, the complaints started. And, they started, seemingly ignorant
that Microsoft had been scanning uploaded files for about 10 years, and
Google for eight.
Well, my complaints at the time, and those of the majority of people I noted, were not about CSAM scanning in an of itself. Apple has every right to use their equipment and their compute time to do such scanning before saving material on their servers.
My gripe concerned them using my device, my storage, and my compute time for their purposes, however noble and necessary those purposes might be. Yes, I'm aware that as envisioned by Apple, the functionality would only kick in when attempting to upload something to iCloud, but there is absolutely no guarantee that some overreaching government, now that the functionality exists, would demand that Apple scan everything on the device, as well as insisting that additional images and material not related to CSAM be included in the verboten list, along with a mandatory report back to that government when such is found. In fact, given the nature of government overreach all over the world, including the United States, it's virtually certain that would happen. And now that Apple has made such a backdoor into my device feasible, government will eventually demand that they implement it. Because, as we all know, Apple will happily comply with all laws and regulations, regardless of how it affects their customers.
I was in no way ignoring or complaining about the existing functionality implemented by all these companies, including Apple, to prevent uploading to their services. My bitch was with co-opting my device to do the work.
Was all the noise and controversy about this the reason Apple dropped Siri’s ability to search photos for people, objects, and days? Too bad- that was very helpful.
And until Apple announces their plans for CSAM I’m sticking with iOS 14, regardless of any security patches or features.
So, hypothetically you would rather have your phone hacked and possibly personal info stolen. Got it.
Apple supports the last three versions of its operating systems for bug and security updates. Wouldn't be a problem for a while.
Are you sure about that? I think its ..... Apple supports an older iPhone with security and bug updates, with at least 3 versions of iOS, after after the iPhone is discontinued. That would be at least 5 years of support for any new iPhone. And no support after the iPhone is considered obsolete.
Today, a bug and security update for an any iPhone that is still on any version of iOS 14, would be an update to iOS 15.6.1. Apple is only signing (for iPhones) iOS 15.6.1, iOS 12.5.5, iOS 7.1.2 , iOS 6.1.6, iOS 4.1 and iOS 4.2.1. Other than iOS 15.6.1, all the other older iOS that Apple is still signing are the last versions of iOS that certain older model iPhones can support. Without Apple signing those iOS, those older models would become totally useless as one would not be able to install an iOS on them. Like the iPhone 2 is today. Apple is no longer signing any iOS that an iPhone 2 can run.
If you lose any version of iOS 14, on any iPhone today, you can only install iOS 15.5.1. (unless it can run iOS 12.5.5) Apple is no longer signing any versions of iOS 14. If you have an iPhone with iOS 14.5, there is no way to update to the last version of iOS 14 (which would be iOS 14.8) because Apple is no longer signing iOS 14.8. There will never be an iOS 14.8.1 or any other update to iOS 14.8. The security and bug update for iOS 14.8 is iOS 15.6.1, today. And by the end of the year, it'll be at least iOS 16.1.
Maybe you're thinking of OSX. I know I was still getting updates to older versions of OSX (on my Macs), for years after newer versions of OSX had already been released. And I can install any version of OSX, on any Mac that can run it. I'm not forced to install the newest version of OSX, that the Mac can still run. Apple don't have to sign OS X, for it to be installed on a Mac.
>Apple supports the last three versions of its operating systems for bug and security updates, so if your iPhone runs iOS 13 you should be ok.<
Yeah, it's a screwy and confusing way of saying it, but when read in context with the statements above it, they are saying that Apple will still support an iOS that is even 3 version old, if it's the last version that an iPhone can run. This was in reference to earlier statements that Apple still provided updates to older iOSes, after the release of newer iOSes, because of iPhones that could not run newer iOSes. The support is mainly for the older iPhones, not the older iOSes.
>The length of support increased with the launch of the iPhone 4s in 2011. That phone was able to run operating systems all the way up to iOS 9. Apple was still supporting iOS 9 in 2019 – it issued a GPS related update on 22 July 2019.
The iPhone 5cruns iOS 10, which also received the GPS related update in July 2019.
The iPhone 5sand iPhone 6both run iOS 12, which was last updated by Apple in July 2020 – specifically the update was for devices that don’t support iOS 13, for which the oldest handset is the iPhone 6s..<
In other words, if there was an iPhone now, that runs iOS 14 but can not run iOS 15, then Apple will most likely still support iOS 14 up to at least when iOS 18 is released. But as of now, the bug and security updates for iOS 14 is iOS 15.5.1. And any iPhone from the 6s on can run iOS 15, but the 6s, SE and 7 will not run the soon to be release iOS 16. Which means that Apple will bel signing and supporting a version of iOS 15, until at least the release of iOS 19, to keep those iPhones running with an up to date iOS 15. But there will be no updates for iOS 13 or iOS14 on those iPhones. But it's possible that iOS 12 can still get an update.
Comments
In the end this solves nothing. The kiddie porn moves to private clouds, which any idiot can put up and secure with modern platforms like NextCloud and its ilk (it took me about half an hour to get mine up and running via Unraid - encrypted with two-factor auth and everything), and Apple sends the message that it's willing to allow the government to use anything you put on their platform as evidence against you for any offense that their moral compass sways past at any given moment. Apple sells music and moivies, will they let the RIAA/MPAA scan everyone's storage for "pirated" content next?
I'd suggest everyone begin looking at setting up a NextCloud instance of their own at this point - it's not hard or even that expensive. Between Google willing to use anything they that you put in their storage to farm info about you and Apple apparently willing to do the same should the whim hit them, hosting your own storage is clearly the best way to go from here on out. At least it's a good time for all of this, with such great platforms like it and DuckDuckGo available to enhance your privacy.
Today, a bug and security update for an any iPhone that is still on any version of iOS 14, would be an update to iOS 15.6.1. Apple is only signing (for iPhones) iOS 15.6.1, iOS 12.5.5, iOS 7.1.2 , iOS 6.1.6, iOS 4.1 and iOS 4.2.1. Other than iOS 15.6.1, all the other older iOS that Apple is still signing are the last versions of iOS that certain older model iPhones can support. Without Apple signing those iOS, those older models would become totally useless as one would not be able to install an iOS on them. Like the iPhone 2 is today. Apple is no longer signing any iOS that an iPhone 2 can run.
If you lose any version of iOS 14, on any iPhone today, you can only install iOS 15.5.1. (unless it can run iOS 12.5.5) Apple is no longer signing any versions of iOS 14. If you have an iPhone with iOS 14.5, there is no way to update to the last version of iOS 14 (which would be iOS 14.8) because Apple is no longer signing iOS 14.8. There will never be an iOS 14.8.1 or any other update to iOS 14.8. The security and bug update for iOS 14.8 is iOS 15.6.1, today. And by the end of the year, it'll be at least iOS 16.1.
Maybe you're thinking of OSX. I know I was still getting updates to older versions of OSX (on my Macs), for years after newer versions of OSX had already been released. And I can install any version of OSX, on any Mac that can run it. I'm not forced to install the newest version of OSX, that the Mac can still run. Apple don't have to sign OS X, for it to be installed on a Mac.
>Apple supports the last three versions of its operating systems for bug and security updates, so if your iPhone runs iOS 13 you should be ok.<
Yeah, it's a screwy and confusing way of saying it, but when read in context with the statements above it, they are saying that Apple will still support an iOS that is even 3 version old, if it's the last version that an iPhone can run. This was in reference to earlier statements that Apple still provided updates to older iOSes, after the release of newer iOSes, because of iPhones that could not run newer iOSes. The support is mainly for the older iPhones, not the older iOSes.
>The length of support increased with the launch of the iPhone 4s in 2011. That phone was able to run operating systems all the way up to iOS 9. Apple was still supporting iOS 9 in 2019 – it issued a GPS related update on 22 July 2019.
The iPhone 5cruns iOS 10, which also received the GPS related update in July 2019.
The iPhone 5sand iPhone 6both run iOS 12, which was last updated by Apple in July 2020 – specifically the update was for devices that don’t support iOS 13, for which the oldest handset is the iPhone 6s..<In other words, if there was an iPhone now, that runs iOS 14 but can not run iOS 15, then Apple will most likely still support iOS 14 up to at least when iOS 18 is released. But as of now, the bug and security updates for iOS 14 is iOS 15.5.1. And any iPhone from the 6s on can run iOS 15, but the 6s, SE and 7 will not run the soon to be release iOS 16. Which means that Apple will bel signing and supporting a version of iOS 15, until at least the release of iOS 19, to keep those iPhones running with an up to date iOS 15. But there will be no updates for iOS 13 or iOS14 on those iPhones. But it's possible that iOS 12 can still get an update.