Apple delays iPhone photo-scanning plan amid fierce backlash

By MICHAEL LIEDTKE and MATT O’BRIEN
AP Technology Writers

BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) — Apple is indefinitely delaying its plans to scan iPhones in the U.S. for images of child sexual abuse. The move followed outcry from security and privacy experts who warned the technology could eventually be exploited for other surveillance purposes by hackers and intrusive governments. The postponement announced Friday comes a month after the company revealed it was getting ready to roll out a tool to detect known images of child sexual abuse, which would work by scanning files before they’re uploaded to its iCloud back-up storage system. It had also planned to introduce a separate tool to scan users’ encrypted messages for sexually explicit content.